HM Treasury

Debts

Alex Norris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2017 to Question 6591, on debts, what plans he has to implement a breathing space scheme.

Stephen Barclay: The government has tabled an amendment to the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, which will be debated at the Third Reading of the Bill in the other place on 21st November. This amendment would enable the Government to implement a breathing space scheme after receiving advice from the Single Financial Guidance Body on the design of such a scheme.

Offshore Trusts: Tax Avoidance

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reduce offshore tax avoidance.

Mel Stride: This government has already made unprecedented reforms to the UK tax code to ensure opportunities to avoid tax by using offshore structures are minimised. In particular, the Common Reporting Standard means HMRC are receiving information on accounts held offshore, so they can make sure the right tax is being paid in the UK. Further, Country by Country Reporting (one of the OECD’s BEPS outputs) means HMRC have information on how multinationals are reporting their taxable profit around the world. The government remains committed to tackling avoidance and will continue to consider unilateral and multilateral actions that will achieve this.

Business: Tax Collection

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average amount of recovered taxes that a member of staff in the compliance business stream of HM Revenue and Customs brings in annually.

Mel Stride: HMRC has generated over £160 billion of additional yield since 2010 from tackling avoidance, evasion and non-compliance. There are currently 26,000 people working in the Customer Compliance Group tackling all forms of non-compliance – ranging from individuals operating in the hidden economy, through to detailed investigation of offshore structures and scrutinising the tax affairs of the largest multi-national companies. Given this significant variation in compliance activity, it is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate of the average compliance revenue recovered per officer.

Trusts: Tax Evasion

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle tax evasion through trusts and (b) open trusts to greater public scrutiny.

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the abuse of privileges by trusts.

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reform trust legislation.

Mel Stride: Tackling tax evasion is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs. This Government has given HM Revenue and Customs an additional £1.8 billion since 2010 to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance. As promised in our manifesto, the Government is improving transparency and tackling misuse of trusts. The Government has established a register of trusts incurring UK tax consequences, enabling law enforcement authorities to identify beneficial owners of relevant trusts. The UK is currently engaged with EU negotiations on targeted amendments to the Fourth Money Laundering Directive. These amendments will include increased obligations for trusts to register information on their beneficial ownership.

Offshore Trusts: Registration

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to establish a public register of the ownership of offshore companies and trusts.

Mel Stride: The Overseas Territories are legislatively independent and are largely self-governing: they have their own governments, legislatures and elected representatives, and do not have representation in the UK Parliament. The Government has established a register of all trusts, including those established offshore, which incur UK tax consequences. This enables law enforcement authorities to identify beneficial owners of relevant trusts. Further, the UK is engaged with EU negotiations on targeted amendments to the Fourth Money Laundering Directive, including increased obligations for trusts to register information on their beneficial ownership. Under the UK Companies Act, legislation on the Register of People with Significant Control can only be applied to companies as defined in that Act. Overseas Territories with financial centres and the Crown Dependencies have agreed to hold company beneficial ownership information in a central register (or similarly effective system) and to share this information with UK law enforcement on request. We have legislated, through the Criminal Finances Act 2017, to review by 1 July 2019 the effectiveness of these arrangements over the first eighteen months of their operation.

Tax Collection

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the additional tax revenue to be accrued from potential changes in the international tax rules (a) as a result of the G20/OECD project on base erosion and profit shifting and (b) by the Government.

Mel Stride: The OECD’s 15 point Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) was developed jointly by G20 and OECD countries and was endorsed in 2013 at the G20 St Petersburg Summit. The UK provides one of the deputy-chairs for the steering group of the OECD’s Inclusive Framework on BEPS and is committed to implementing the OECD’s recommendations. Since 2013, the UK has implemented, or is in the process of implementing, 9 policy measures which are expected to increase receipts by tackling BEPS. Through these measures, listed below, we expect to accrue an additional £2.6 billion per annum by the tax year 2019/20. BudgetMeasureTotal Revenue (£m/pa)2019-20AS14Diverted Profits Tax£355AS14Hybrids£90AS14Country-by-Country Reporting£15B15Controlled Foreign Companies Loss Restriction£150B16Offshore Property Developers Legislation & taskforce£640B16Royalty Withholding Tax£120B16Corporate Interest Restriction£995B16Hybrids Extension£215B16Patent Box Nexus£35£2,615 These figures reflect the latest published costings for each measure. We are continuing to work with the OECD to develop recommendations on BEPS, and any future measures in this area will be assessed and costed as part of the fiscal event process.

Chevron Petroleum: Australia

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what implications the judgment in the case of Chevron Australia Holdings Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation in Australia has for his policies; and if he will make a statement.

Mel Stride: The Chevron case concerned the tax consequences of the company’s intra-group lending arrangements. The UK has transfer pricing rules that set out how transactions between connected parties are priced for tax purposes. In common with many countries (including Australia), the UK rules are based on the internationally recognised arm’s length principle. HM Revenue and Customs challenges arrangements that do not allocate the right amount of profits to the UK. The UK Corporation Tax code contains a number of rules to deter companies from using excessive levels of debt to reduce their profits by way of inflated or artificial interest payments. Financial transfer pricing (thin capitalisation) rules limit interest deductions to an arm’s length amount, unallowable purpose rules deny deductions for interest incurred with a main purpose of avoiding UK tax, and hybrid mismatch rules, introduced in Finance Act 2016, counteract arrangements which exploit mismatches between different tax jurisdictions. Finance (No.2) Act 2017 introduced a new corporate interest restriction rule which aligns interest deductions with the economic activities undertaken and taxed in the UK. The UK is the first country to introduce such a new rule to implement the recommendations of the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project and the requirements of the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive. This new UK rule includes a “debt cap”, which limits interest deductions by reference to a group’s external interest expense, so a group which does not borrow externally cannot use interest deductions to significantly reduce the tax it pays in the UK.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total reduction in the income tax liability for additional rate taxpayers as a result of reducing the additional rate from 50 pence to 45 pence in each financial year since 2013-14.

Mel Stride: The latest estimated cost of reducing the additional rate of income tax to 45 per cent is available on the government website, Budget 2013, page 66, table 2.2: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2013-documents HMRC published a detailed evaluation of the impact of the 50 per cent tax rate on the Exchequer in 2012 ‘The Exchequer effect of the 50 per cent additional rate of income tax’. This remains the best available estimate of taxpayer responses to changes in the additional rate of tax. This report contains more information on the methodology for estimating the impact of the policy, specifically in annex A: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130127161217/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/excheq-income-tax-2042.pdf

Public Sector: Pay

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of a public sector pay award in line with (a) CPI and (b) RPI taking account of (i) income tax, (ii) national insurance contributions and (iii) employee and employer public sector pension contributions.

Elizabeth Truss: The cost of such a pay award would depend on a range of factors including the size and shape of the public sector workforce, what specific measure of inflation is used and over what period, as well as the implementation date for the pay award for each workforce. The paybill for the public sector can be found in the published ONS Blue Book and totalled £179bn in 2016-17: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/datasets/bluebook

Local Government: Pay

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost to local authorities of a public sector pay award in line with (a) CPI and (b) RPI after taking account of (i) income tax and (ii) employee and employer national insurance contributions.

Elizabeth Truss: The cost of such a pay award to local authorities would depend on a range of factors including the scope of the local government workforce, what specific measure of inflation is used and over what period, as well as the implementation date for the pay award. The paybill for various workforces within the local government sector can be found on page 20 of the published Local Government Finance Statistics England: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627895/LGFS27.

Local Government: Employers' Contributions

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost to local authorities of the 3.4 per cent increase in employer national insurance contributions that took effect from April 2016 for each financial year from 2016-17 to 2021-22.

Elizabeth Truss: The new State Pension was introduced in April 2016. As a result, the additional State Pension was abolished, and the Class 1 National Insurance contracted out rebate removed from the NICs system. At Budget 2016, the Government assessed the cost to public sector employers of removing the contracted-out rebate as £2740, £2740, £2815, £2885, £2975 million from 2016-17 to 2020-21. This information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2016-documents/budget-2016. A more detailed breakdown is not available. The impacts for each department were factored in to departmental settlements, including DCLG, at the Spending Review. DCLG’s settlement allocates money fairly amongst all councils to address service pressures and financial risks – including those under the greatest cost pressures and those with smaller tax bases. Over the Spending Review period councils in England will have available more than £200 billion to spend on local services.

Foreign Investment in UK: Russia

Mr David Lammy: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on whether people associated with human rights abuses and illegal activity in Russia are involved in property investment schemes in the UK.

Stephen Barclay: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed. This government is committed to making the UK’s financial system a hostile environment for illicit finance, and is making the biggest changes to the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime in a decade, including through the new Money Laundering Regulations 2017 and the Criminal Finances Act. We are determined to protect the security and prosperity of our citizens and the integrity of our world-leading financial system.

Spirits: Excise Duties

Christine Jardine: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the elasticities used to model the UK spirits market for the purposes of spirits revenue projection were last updated; and when his Department next plans to review those elasticities.

Andrew Jones: The elasticities used to model changes in revenue in the UK spirits market were last updated in December 2014. Full details of the elasticities and the methodology used to calculate them are included in the published working paper, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimation-of-price-elasticities-of-demand-for-alcohol-in-the-uk   The Office for Budget Responsibility do not publish the elasticities used within the alcohol duty forecasting models. However, these elasticities were last updated ahead of the March 2017 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The OBR state in paragraph 4.76 on page 121 that they “have updated the econometric models of alcohol clearances that underpin the forecast” and therefore the elasticities behind the alcohol duty forecasting models. Full details of the March 2017 Economic and Fiscal Outlook can be found here: http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2017/ All assumptions used for modelling are kept under review in consultation with the OBR.

Customs

Tom Brake: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of additional staff to be recruited to HM Revenue and Customs for new customs arrangements after the UK leaves the EU.

Mel Stride: Changes to staffing levels within HM Revenue and Customs will be dependent on the outcome of EU exit negotiations. HM Revenue and Customs are working with HM Treasury to understand all costs associated with the options for the UK’s future customs arrangements after the UK has exited the EU.

Treasury: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

Andrew Jones: The Civil Service has set out five priorities for the physical and mental health and wellbeing of its employees. The Civil Service has committed to being a leading employer on mental health support, in line with in the recently published independent review Thriving At Work. In HM Treasury we are taking the following steps: Physical WellbeingEmployees are encouraged totake their statutory 28 days per year annual leave, including at least one period of two weeks leave in order to have an extended period for rest and relaxation.take part in regular daily activity including active travel, make use of the Cycle to Work Scheme, to move regularly throughout the day especially when using display screen equipment for long periods; to get involved in national wellbeing campaigns i.e. Civil Service Walking Challenges and other promotionsuse the on-site gym and fitness classes, take part in sports activities run by the Treasury’s Sports and Social Club including Sports Day;eat healthily. The Treasury works with the onsite caterers to encourage and provide healthy food options.specialists within Human Resources ensure workplace adjustments are implemented. Mental WellbeingThe Treasury signed the Time to Change Pledge in February 2014 to help rid the stigma associated with poor mental health. Activities include:promoting and delivering ‘Time to Talk Workshops’ that offer tips and information about how to manage mental health;ensuring all new staff complete the eLearning ‘Stress Essentials’ and promoting the Civil Service eLearning ‘Mental Health Awareness’;the Mental Wellbeing Network co-ordinates events during Mental Health Awareness Weeks, World Mental Health Day and Time to Talk Day to encourage open dialogue;Treasury teams complete pulse checks and heatmaps to assess progress against wellbeing criteria from the annual People Survey;Support for senior managers to deal with mental wellbeing issues;10 trained Mental Health First Aiders support the mental wellbeing of employees;Use of the Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Service to help improve both mental and physical wellbeing.

Valuation Office Agency: Closures

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111542, how many discussions his Department has had with the UK Government Ministers or Welsh Government Ministers in the last 12 months on valuation office closures; on what dates those discussions took place; who participated in those discussions; and whether there were any actionable outcomes from those discussions.

Mel Stride: Neither Treasury Ministers nor officials have discussed the Valuation Office Agency’s estate plans with other UK Ministers or Welsh Ministers.

Valuation Office Agency: Closures

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111905, on Valuation Office Agency, against which benchmarks performance has been measured at those valuation offices marked for closure.

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library any information his Department holds on the performance indicators for individual valuation offices in the UK.

Mel Stride: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) measures performance on an organisation-wide basis, not on an office-by-office basis. Operational work is dealt with across the network of offices, so, for example, a case involving a property in one part of the country could be primarily handled in another part. Measures of performance, such as those related to timeliness and clearing business rates appeals, are listed in the VOA annual report.

Companies: Guernsey

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Guernsey on the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information with HM Revenue and Customs and UK law enforcement agencies and the setting up of a public register of beneficial ownership.

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of the Isle of Man on the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information with HM Revenue and Customs and UK law enforcement agencies and the setting up of a public register of beneficial ownership.

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of the Jersey on the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information with HM Revenue and Customs and UK law enforcement agencies and the setting up of a public register of beneficial ownership.

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Anguilla on the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information with HM Revenue and Customs and UK Law enforcement agencies and the setting up of a public register of beneficial ownership.

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Gibraltar on the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information with HM Revenue and Customs and UK Law enforcement agencies and the setting up of a public register of beneficial ownership.

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Monserrat on the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information with HM Revenue and Customs and UK Law enforcement agencies and setting up a public register of beneficial ownership.

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Bermuda on the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information with HM Revenue and Customs and UK Law enforcement agencies and setting up a public register of beneficial ownership.

Mel Stride: Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm. The UK Government works closely with the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies on transparency issues and officials have regular discussions with these jurisdictions. All the Crown Dependencies and relevant Overseas Territories have committed to the development of a systematic exchange of beneficial ownership information. They have also committed to establish central registers, or similarly effective systems, to give UK law enforcement and tax authorities near real-time access to beneficial ownership information on corporate and legal entities incorporated in their jurisdictions. These arrangements came into effect on 30 June 2017. It remains the Government’s ambition for public registers to become the global standard. If this happens, we would expect the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies to follow suit.

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Chris Stephens: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 112013, on HM Revenue and Customs staff, how many employees were employed in the (a) High Net Worth Unit and (b) Affluent Unit on 31 March 2016.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has brought together its High Net Worth Unit and Affluent teams to form a single Wealthy team. As at 31 March 2016, the teams had approximately 775 full time equivalent staff engaged in customer compliance activity, of which 380 were employed in the High Net Worth Unit and 395 were employed in the Affluent Unit. As at 31 March 2017, the teams had approximately 1040 full time equivalent staff engaged in customer compliance activity, of which 522 were employed in the High Net Worth Unit and 518 were employed in the Affluent Unit. Staff across HMRC work on tax compliance, including with regard to the wealthy – this work is not the sole preserve of the Wealthy team. Around 26,000 full time equivalent staff work in HMRC’s Customer Compliance Group.

Local Government Finance: Tax Avoidance

Damien Moore: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to prevent councils using offshore companies to avoid paying stamp duty when purchasing commercial property.

Mel Stride: Purchases of land and buildings by offshore companies are liable to Stamp Duty Land Tax in the same way as any other purchase. Further, the treatment of non-resident landlords means that income from UK property is taxable wherever in the world it is received. Under statute, local authorities have the freedom to invest without prior government consent.

Public Sector: Pay

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the pay review bodies that determine public sector pay.

Elizabeth Truss: In line with 2016 Cabinet Office guidance, departments conduct regular tailored reviews of pay review bodies and their status as non-departmental public bodies. An example of a regular tailored review completed by a department of its pay review body can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/armed-forces-pay-review-body-triennial-review-2014

Business: Digital Technology

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on productivity of businesses adopting digital technology; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: We recognise the importance of businesses adopting digital technology as this enhances productivity growth. The CBI estimate that increasing business adoption of key technologies and management practices could be worth over £100bn to UK GVA. At Autumn Statement 2016 we announced £13 million funding to support a private sector-led Productivity Leadership Group. The Group will drive engagement to improve business productivity, including through appropriate use of digital technologies.

Crown Dependencies: Tax Avoidance

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the scale of tax avoidance in the Crown dependencies.

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111910, whether (a) Government Ministers and (b) HM Revenue and Customs have had discussions with their counterparts in the (i) UK Overseas Territories and (ii) Crown Dependencies to ascertain an estimate of the scale of tax avoidance in those territories.

Mel Stride: I refer the Rt Hon Member to my previous answer, Hansard Reference 111910. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) provides an annual estimate of the UK tax gap that includes tax lost through avoidance arrangements that can be challenged under UK law. HMRC does not estimate tax losses outside its jurisdiction. Treasury Ministers have regular discussions with the governments of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories on a range of issues, including their commitments to international tax agreements.

Foreign Investment in UK

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the level of foreign direct investment in the UK was in the 12 months (a) prior to and (b) from July 2016.

Stephen Barclay: The flow of direct investment into the UK in the year to Q2 2016 totalled £80.8billion. In the year since the EU referendum, inward foreign direct investment (FDI) flows improved to £158.4billion. This has caused the stock of inward FDI to increase from £1.35trillion in 2016Q2 to £1.49trillion in 2017Q2, an increase of £142bn.

Valuation Office Agency: Rhyl

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111680, how many individual cases the Rhyl valuation office has processed in each year for which data is available.

Mel Stride: The information requested is not available. The Valuation Office Agency does not monitor numbers of individual cases processed at each of its locations.

Arts: Tax Allowances

Tom Watson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to extend creative tax relief to new sectors.

Mel Stride: The creative sector tax reliefs provide support to ensure that creative industries thrive in the UK. There are currently seven schemes, covering film, animation, high-end TV, children’s TV, video games, theatre and orchestra. The government has recently legislated for an eighth creative sector relief, for museums and galleries. The government keeps all tax reliefs under review.

Gambling: Excise Duties

Ian C. Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what income the Exchequer has received from duty on (a) online gambling and (b) betting shop income in each of the last five years.

Andrew Jones: Total receipts from Betting and Gaming duties are published here:https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutybulletins.aspx A breakdown of revenue for General Betting Duty, Machine Games Duty and Remote Gaming Duty is included in this publication.

Department for Work and Pensions: Revenue and Customs

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the remit and activities are of the joint initiatives between HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions referred to as Late, Missing and Incorrect.

Mel Stride: The remit of this initiative is for HMRC to identify those cases where enhanced employer education and support will improve the timeliness and quality of RTI submissions.

Tobacco: EU Action

Ian Paisley: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to delay UK implementation of the EU Commission's proposals for a European track and trace scheme for the tobacco market.

Ian Paisley: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the inter-operability of the EU Commission's proposals for a pan-European track and trace scheme for the tobacco market and the existing tobacco retail registration scheme in Northern Ireland.

Ian Paisley: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on small businesses in Northern Ireland of the proposal from the EU Commission for a European track and trace scheme for the tobacco market.

Ian Paisley: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the EU Commission's proposal for a pan-European track and trace scheme for the tobacco market in tackling the illicit tobacco trade in Northern Ireland.

Andrew Jones: The government has been working on the draft implementing legislation for Articles 15 and 16 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive with the Commission and other Member States. We are aware of concerns raised by businesses affected and have been working to try to ensure that the system adopted is effective, efficient and proportionate in tackling the trade in illicit tobacco products which puts public health at risk and avoids the payment of duty. A number of amendments have been made to the proposed regulations in line with meeting these objectives. We will continue to assess the impact and merits of the legislation and to work with businesses affected towards a successful implementation, given the timescales already set out in the Directive itself. The track and trace system to be introduced is separate from the existing retailer registration scheme in Northern Ireland. It will provide identification codes for retailers to be used when purchasing legitimate tobacco products. These codes can be obtained by suppliers on their behalf of retailers, if desired. The Directive also provides for the costs of the scheme, including the equipment needed to scan products through the supply chain, to be met by the tobacco industry.

Royal Bank of Scotland: Small Businesses

Bill Esterson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111358, on the Royal Bank of Scotland: small businesses, what representations he has received from business organisations on the date for publication of the further report of the Financial Conduct Authority on Royal Bank of Scotland's treatment of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Stephen Barclay: Treasury Ministers and officials communicate with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published an interim summary of the independent review of Royal Bank of Scotland’s treatment of small and medium-sized enterprise customers transferred to its Global Restructuring Group. The FCA announced it is investigating the matters arising from the review and focussing on whether there is any basis for it to take further action. It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment further whilst this process is ongoing.

Bank Services: Small Businesses

Bill Esterson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111345, on bank services: small businesses, what representations he has received from business organisations on the (a) accessibility of full banking services for small and medium-sized enterprises when their bank branch closes and (b) suitability of the Post Office counter network for business banking.

Stephen Barclay: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. The Access to Banking Standard, launched in May 2017, commits banks to ensure personal and business customers are better informed about branch closures and the reasons for them closing, along with the options they have locally to continue to access banking services, including specialist assistance for customers who need more help. The Access to Banking Standard is monitored and enforced by the independent Lending Standards Board. 95% of banks’ business customers are now able to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches. Government will have provided nearly £2 billion during the period 2011 to 2018 to maintain and modernise the Post Office network.

Working Tax Credit

Andrew Gwynne: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111398, on Working Tax Credit: Denton and Reddish, if he will make it his policy to collect information on working tax credits at a constituency level.

Elizabeth Truss: Information on personal tax credits, including those entitled to working tax credits, is produced at constituency level and published in Table 3 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/622524/Child_and_Working_Tax_Credits_statistics_finalised_annual_awards_-_geographical_analysis_2015_to_2016.pdfThis includes information on tax credit entitlements.

Brexit

Jo Stevens: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total projected cost to the Exchequer to 2020 of additional Government staff being hired to manage the UK's exit from the EU.

Elizabeth Truss: Whilst HM Treasury has oversight of all policies with spending implications, we do not collate information on all individual costs, including recruitment costs, incurred ahead of EU Exit. Where spend is not novel, contentious or repercussive, and is not above delegated limits, departments have autonomy to incur expenditure without seeking formal HMT clearance.

Individual Savings Accounts

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people had investments in cash ISAs in the 2016-17 financial year.

Stephen Barclay: HMRC publish National Statistics on ISA account subscriptions and the number of ISAs held by individuals. Table 9.10 from the ISA statistics shows, for the latest year available (2014-15) over 19 million individuals held Cash ISAs. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/610482/Table_9.10_2014-15_for_publication.pdf The number of individuals holding Cash ISAs in 2016-17 is expected to be published in April 2019.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 15 November 2017, HCWS 247, on childcare service updates, on what date the tax-free childcare service will be open to parents whose youngest child is under (a) seven, (b) eight, (c) nine, (d) 10, (e) 11 and (f) 12 years old.

Tracy Brabin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 15 November 2017, HCWS 247, on childcare service updates, how much he plans to spend on activities to raise awareness of tax-free childcare among parents.

Tracy Brabin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 15 November 2017, HCWS 247, on childcare service updates, if he will provide details of what improvements were made to the Childcare Choices website; and how much such improvements cost.

Tracy Brabin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 15 November 2017, HCWS 247, on childcare service updates, how many tax-free childcare accounts his Department estimated would be created; and how many such accounts have been created.

Tracy Brabin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 15 November 2017, HCWS 247, on childcare service updates, what assessment he has made of whether the potential number of applications of tax-free childcare accounts has been lower than expected.

Elizabeth Truss: On 24 November we will open the childcare service to those parents whose youngest child is under 6. We will gradually open the service to the remaining parents at the beginning of 2018. Our final decisions on roll-out dates for particular age groups will depend on volumes of applications and the performance of the childcare service. This is to ensure parents receive a better experience and prompt eligibility responses. All eligible parents will be able to apply by the end of March 2018. We are currently planning our communications campaign, in line with the revised profile for rollout of the service. Our plans include making use of stakeholders, partner websites, government channels and press, as well as some paid for advertising. Our approach is flexible and the costs of the campaign will be dependent on the relative impact of the various types of media. HMRC, and their delivery partner NS&I, have made a number of technical fixes to the childcare service. The impact of these has been to provide a better customer experience, reduce the number of error screens seen by parents and provide faster eligibility responses. Almost all parents now get an eligibility response within five working days and most get their decision instantly. The costs for these technical improvements are included in the overall forecast expenditure for the programme, given in the response to Parliamentary Question (105727) on 16 October. As set out in the Impact Assessment for Tax Free Childcare published in March 2017, we estimate that, when fully rolled out, 1.2 million families will be better off under the new scheme. This assessment can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652939/Tax-free_childcare_Impact_Assessment-March_2017.pdf. The number of live Tax-Free Childcare accounts was given in my response to a Parliamentary Question (106916) on 16 October. The number of parents with a Tax-Free Childcare account is currently lower than expected due to a combination of us opening the service to parents more slowly, and initial take-up being slower than expected. The service is currently open to parents of younger children who tend to focus more on using 30 hours free childcare over Tax-Free Childcare.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Frank Field: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reform the duty regime for super strength alcohol to incentivise a reduction in the strength of those products.

Andrew Jones: The government keeps all taxes under review at fiscal events, and we will consider this issue carefully as part of the Autumn Budget process.

Appleby: Disclosure of Information

Jim McMahon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has taken legal steps to obtain information held by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists relating to the Paradise papers.

Mel Stride: HMRC does not have power to acquire journalistic material held overseas and, therefore, is unable to obtain the information held by the ICIJ ‎known as the Paradise Papers. However, HMRC has requested access to the material that has been provided by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists to the BBC and The Guardian. HMRC has also encouraged these organisations to pass on any information that points to wrongdoing and are prepared to look at every allegation in full.

Tax Evasion

Jim McMahon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were charged with tax evasion in each year from 2010 to date; and how many of those people served a custodial sentence as a result of that tax evasion.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs is not itself a prosecuting authority. All prosecutions have to be authorised by the relevant independent prosecuting authority, which for England and Wales would be the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS); for Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS); and for Northern Ireland, the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPSNI). The custodial sentences handed down in a particular financial year may be in respect of charging decisions made in previous years, due to the length of time individuals can take to proceed through the judicial system from charging decision to outcome. They therefore do not correlate directly to the number of charging decisions in that financial year.  Positive Charging DecisionsNumber of Custodial Sentences Handed Down2011/125012412012/137392272013/148802412014/1512542472015/1610672722016/171067292

Concentrix

Louise Haigh: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much compensation HM Revenue and Customs paid to tax credit claimants who incurred a financial loss due to actions taken by Concentrix during the course of its contract in relation to error and fraud in the tax credits system.

Louise Haigh: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many claimants have received a compensation payment from HM Revenue and Customs as a result of an actual financial loss caused by the actions of Concentrix during its contract in relation to the tax credits system.

Elizabeth Truss: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will consider offering redress if a customer has incurred a financial loss. As at 15 November 2017, HMRC had paid a total of £18,035 in payments for costs, actual financial loss or reimbursement due to actions taken by Concentrix during the course of its contract. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will consider offering redress if a customer has incurred a financial loss. As at 15 November 2017, HMRC had made 1,271 payments for costs, actual financial loss or reimbursement due to action taken by Concentrix during the course of its contract.

Sparkling Wines: Excise Duties

Tim Loughton: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of regularising the rate of duty between sparkling wine produced in the UK and such wine produced in France.

Andrew Jones: The government keeps all taxes under review. Any changes to wine duty rates would need to take account of a wide range of factors, including the Exchequer impact, the impact on businesses, public health and the distributional impact of reform.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Tim Loughton: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to update the Exchequer Impact data on the Tax Impact Information Note relating to alcohol duty rate changes; and if he will halt planned increases in wine duty.

Andrew Jones: Tax Impact and Information Notes (TIINS) are published alongside new tax measures and represent the estimated impact of a measure at that time. TIINs published for previous measures are not retrospectively edited. The government keeps all taxes under review at fiscal events, and we will consider this issue carefully as part of the Autumn Budget process.

VAT

Patricia Gibson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of changes to eligibility for VAT registration on (a) guest houses and bed and breakfast outlets and (b) other small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mel Stride: The UK's VAT registration threshold is currently set at £85,000. Businesses must register for VAT when their turnover is above £85,000. Businesses below the threshold are eligible to register voluntarily if making taxable supplies. To assess the impact of VAT on small and medium enterprises HM Revenue and Customs commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct research into their behaviours and experiences around VAT registration. The report was published on 16 November 2017.

Prime Minister

Foreign Relations

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister, who in the Government has responsibility for the co-ordination of UK soft power overseas.

Mrs Theresa May: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office uses its global influence and diplomatic network to maximise the impact of the UK’s soft power.

Department for Work and Pensions

Work Capability Assessment

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people deemed fit to work by Work Place Assessments changed status within a 12 month period in the last five years.

Sarah Newton: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The latest available information on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) appeal outcomes for Fit for Work decisions for initial Work Capability Assessments (WCA) can be found in Table 3 of the ESA Outcomes of WCA quarterly statistics published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/employment-and-support-allowance-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessment

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 110692, whether his Department uses a medical assessment as evidence when the claimant disputes the accuracy of that assessment; whether medical evidence from health care professionals not involved in the medical assessment can be used to overturn an assessment; and whether it is his Department's policy that a claimant may ask for a second medical assessment in the event that the claimant believes that the assessment has not accurately reported their condition.

Sarah Newton: When disputing a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decision, claimants can provide whatever additional evidence from whatever source they think will best help their application. There are no restrictions. The case manager will look at all evidence during the reconsideration process applying relevant weight to each piece of evidence on an individual basis. Claimants cannot demand a second assessment. Instead, and based on evidence provided by the claimant and/or where the case manager (decision maker) requires answers to his own questions, the assessment provider may be approached to provide additional advice – see para 1.13 in the PIP Assessment Guide: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/655611/pip-assessment-guide-part-1-assessment-process.pdf

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has targets for staff carrying out personal independence payment mandatory reassessments on the proportion of such reassessments that are to be refused; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Newton: There are no targets for refusing applications for Mandatory Reconsideration. Each application is considered on its merits.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has received on allegations of dishonesty and malpractice by assessors in the disability benefit system.

Sarah Newton: We are committed to ensuring claimants receive high quality, fair and accurate assessments. We expect the highest professional standards from our Assessment Providers and closely monitor assessment quality through independent audit. Allegations of dishonesty or malpractice by assessors are rare but whenever such claims are made, these are thoroughly investigated.

Employment: Disability

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the responses to the consultation on Work, health and disability: improving lives, which closed on 17 February 2017.

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timetable is to the Government response to the Green Paper, entitled Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability, published on 31 October 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Newton: In October 2016 we published Improving Lives: the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper, setting out the Government’s approach to work and health and inviting views on a ten-year strategy for reform. We engaged with a wide range of stakeholders and others with an interest during the Green Paper consultation period and received around 6,000 responses. We are working towards a publication later this year, which will provide an update on the work we have been doing since the Green Paper, respond to the consultation, and set out our next steps.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of mandatory reconsiderations result in the original decision being upheld; and whether that figure achieves his Department's targets.

Sarah Newton: There are no targets within DWP for upholding applications for mandatory reconsideration. Each application is considered on its merits. The proportion of mandatory reconsiderations that resulted in the original decision being upheld is 81.9%. This data is based on the period 1st April 17 to 31st October 17.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time is for his Department to clear a mandatory reconsideration; and whether that figure achieves his Department's relevant targets.

Sarah Newton: There are no targets within DWP for the time within which a mandatory reconsideration should be cleared. Whilst they are done without delay, the focus is on making a quality decision not the speed of clearance. The average processing time for mandatory reconsideration decisions to be made is 11.5 working days. This data is based on the period 1st April 17 to 31st October 17.

Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to review the operation of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Sarah Newton: The Health and Safety Executive conducted an external consultation, between November 2016 and January 2017, on proposals to review aspects of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) whilst maintaining high gas safety standards.

Personal Independence Payment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to end personal independence payment reassessments for people with incurable conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Newton: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer previously giving by the Hon. Member Penny Mordaunt MP on 25 July 2017 to Question UIN 5325. Claimants who are terminally ill are not required to have a face-to-face consultation and automatically receive the enhanced rate of the daily living component. Most such claimants are also awarded the enhanced rate mobility component.

Pensions: Repayments

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who have had reductions in the size of pension payouts as a result of clawback clauses in their pension scheme.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to repeal the pensions clawback clause.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued on the effect of pension clauses.

Guy Opperman: Information on the number of pensioners who have had a reduction to the size of pension pay-outs is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. This private arrangement is a feature of what are sometimes called integrated pension schemes. These schemes were designed to avoid additional contributions from sponsors and members by taking account of some or all of the State Pension when calculating the amount of occupational pension payable. The arrangement is set out in scheme rules which would have been available to members when they joined the scheme. Such arrangements are not a Department for Work and Pensions matter. There are no plans to legislate to compel schemes to withdraw an integration arrangement. Any retrospective change would impose significant additional unplanned costs. Pension scheme rules on the calculation of benefits are many and varied, and must remain a matter for employers and scheme trustees to decide. The Department has not issued any guidance on the effect of integrated pension schemes. However, there is an information note for Trustees, which is available on The Pensions Regulator website: http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/changes-state-pension-age-dwp-june-2016.pdf

Department for Work and Pensions: EU Grants and Loans

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with HM Treasury on funding for existing EU structural and investment projects; and if all such projects meet the criteria of providing strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.

Damian Hinds: The Department is in regular contact with HM Treasury regarding funding for EU Structural and Investment Funds projects. All EU Structural and Investment Funds projects,signed to date, deliver value for money, are in line with domestic strategic priorities and will be guaranteed by the Government after the UK leaves the EU.

State Retirement Pensions

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time his Department takes to process online applications for the state pension is.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what targets his Department has for processing online applications for the state pension.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) does not maintain average processing times relating to online State Pension applications and does not have a target to process online State Pension claims. Customers can claim their State Pension up to four months in advance of reaching pension age by making a clerical, telephone or online application. The Department measures processing times for all claims and monitors the percentage of applications processed by claim date.

Universal Credit: Warrington North

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit claimants in Warrington North constituency have an advance payment agreement.

Damian Hinds: I refer the Member to the answer given on 8 November 17 to question 110869

Mortgages: North West Durham

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people in North West Durham Constituency will be affected by the Support for Mortgage Interest benefit becoming a loan.

Caroline Dinenage: There are an estimated 124,000 SMI claimants. We are not able to provide estimates of SMI claimants at a constituency level.

Food Banks: Cheshire

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people referred to foodbanks by Jobcentre Plus in the Halton and Cheshire West and Chester local authority areas in each of the last seven years.

Damian Hinds: Jobcentre Plus does not make direct referrals to food banks but has offered a signposting service since 2011 to those who have expressed an interest in using a foodbank. No data is held on the number using the signposting service in the Halton and Cheshire West and Chester local authority area.

Pensions: Regulation

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2017 to Question 106439, on pensions, other than Master Trusts, if the Government will establish an approved list of regulated pension schemes with regulated underlying investments that are deemed safe; and if he will make a statement.

Guy Opperman: It is not the Government’s role to determine whether the individual underlying investments of pension schemes are safe or not. The Government has, however, legislated to require trustees or managers of occupational pension schemes to ensure the quality and security of their scheme’s investment portfolio. This includes ensuring that scheme assets are predominantly invested in investments admitted to regulated markets. Pension providers of workplace personal pensions need to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in order to carry out this activity. The FCA is also responsible for the regulation of the investment market and financial advisers. FCA already holds a register of firms that are or have been regulated by them or the Prudential Regulation Authority. The register is open to the public. FCA also produces a warning list that the public, including trustees, can use to check an investment or pension opportunity to avoid scams.

Pensions: Regulation

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will respond to the consultation, Pension Protection Fund: draft regulations to take account of bridging pensions, published on 31 August 2017.

Guy Opperman: This consultation, which closed on 1 October 2017, sought views on the approach to address the bridging pensions anomaly within Pension Protection Fund compensation. The vast majority of consultation respondents agreed that the anomaly should be addressed. However, a significant number were in favour of an alternative approach which more closely reflected the original pension scheme rules and after careful consideration, the Government has decided to proceed with this alternative. On Friday 17 November 2017, my Department launched a technical consultation on the draft regulations to implement this scheme rules based approach.

Work Capability Assessment: Autism

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that training offered to those carrying out work capability assessments complies with statutory obligations under the Autism Act 2009.

Sarah Newton: The Autism Act 2009 does not impose any specific statutory obligations on DWP or its Providers. The Department is, however, fully committed to improving the services it provides for people with autism. Part of the Department’s Autism Strategy Action Plan focuses on key areas for improvement, including promotion of the autism agenda to our Assessment Provider, Centre for Health and Disability Assessments. In order to improve the skills and knowledge of Healthcare Professionals that undertake Work Capability Assessments, the Department supported the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments in the development of condition specific training on autism which is quality assured by external reviewers.

Labour and Employment

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the change in the rate of (a) employment and (b) unemployment since 23 June 2016.

Damian Hinds: Since May-July 2016, the employment rate has increased by 0.6 percentage points to reach 75.0 per cent in July-September 2016. The unemployment rate has decreased by 0.7 percentage points to 4.3 per cent over the same period, the lowest rate since 1975.

Unemployment: Disability

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support job coaches are able to offer jobseekers with health conditions and disabilities in the event that those jobcentres are unable to access the Work and Health programme.

Damian Hinds: Work Coaches work closely with jobseekers to help them move towards employment and can offer a wide range of support tailored to the specific needs of customers, including those with health conditions and disabilities. There is a wide range of local and national contracted and non-contracted provision and support available to customers, and their Work Coach will refer them to the most appropriate support available locally. In areas where the Work and Health Programme has not yet rolled out, contracts for other provision have been extended to ensure we can continue to meet the on-going needs of customers.

Work Capability Assessment: Autism

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people administering work capability assessments are required to undertake training on autism and autistic spectrum disorders; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Newton: All Healthcare Professionals conducting Work Capability Assessments receive extensive training regarding autism spectrum disorders as part of their initial new entrant training. This training programme includes simulated assessments covering claimants with autism and learning disabilities to allow Healthcare Professionals to develop appropriate consultation skills. All Healthcare Professionals have access to condition specific information on autism which is quality assured by external reviewers. Healthcare Professionals are further supported by Functional Champions who are available to provide advice to Healthcare Professionals on particular conditions including autism before, during or after an assessment.

Department for Work and Pensions: Interserve

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what contingency plans his Department has put in place to protect his Department's staff who are subject to TUPE transfer, in the event that Interserve the contractor for cleaning, messengerial and other support functions, is unable to fulfil its contract; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: I can confirm contingency planning is a requirement for any major procurement and DWP is monitoring the situation. I can also advise that direct engagement between Interserve and the incumbent provider is under way regarding TUPE transfer to ensure the successful implementation and handover of service delivery.

Department for Work and Pensions: Interserve

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department made of the financial sustainability of the company, Interserve, prior to awarding that company the contract for cleaning, messengerial and other support functions for his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: I can confirm all companies bidding for departmental work under CCS frameworks are subject to a full and rigorous review of their financial capability. A financial assessment of Interserve was completed prior to awarding the DWP FM Contract.

Department for Work and Pensions: Interserve

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department made of the suitability of Interserve as a fit and proper company before the award of the contract for cleaning, messengerial and other support functions; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: I can confirm an evaluation of Interserve’s capability and capacity to deliver DWP’s FM requirements was completed before the award of contract - and can further confirm the mobilisation of the Facilities Management contract is proceeding to plan.

Universal Credit: Disability

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department provides to disabled people who claim universal credit.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit is simpler and fairer than the legacy system and is designed in a way that better reflects the extra costs disabled people can face and the extra support available for costs of care.In designing the system we place the needs of the people at the heart of the claimant journey and we are moving to a model of a dedicated work coach, who facilitates access to an integrated support network which can adapt and be tailored to a person’s health needs. It also, for the first time, helps people with a disability or health condition, who are already in work, to remain there and to progress their position and earnings with confidence and support.We engage with claimants through a variety of communication methods and are able to provide flexible support when needed. Claimants may also be referred to a range of specialist support and provision, to help meet any skills needs or help them move into work more quickly.

Universal Credit: Disability

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who identify as disabled are currently in receipt of universal credit.

Damian Hinds: To provide the requested information would incur disproportionate cost.However, as part of the experimental official statistics, information is available on the number of households on Universal Credit which were entitled to additional support following a finding of limited capability for work. Around 12,000 households that received a payment of Universal Credit in June 2017 were entitled to this additional support – 3% of all households in payment. Further information on these statistics can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statisticsIn response to requests for information on Universal Credit we have consulted users on the expansion of Universal Credit statistics. We are currently reviewing the responses and if numbers of disabled people on UC prove to be a high priority for our users we will consider publishing them regularly, subject to sufficient quality assurance.

Universal Credit

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of universal credit advance payment recipients receive their advance payment within (a) the first day, (b) the first two days and (c) the first week of application.

Damian Hinds: The requested information is not currently available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Disability

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect the introduction of work coaches has had on the number of disabled people in receipt of universal credit.

Damian Hinds: No such assessment has been undertaken. We continue to evaluate progress as we roll out the full Universal Credit service nationally, in a careful and co-ordinated way, reviewing against key measures, to ensure safe and secure delivery. This includes reviewing the way our work coaches engage with and best support claimants with disabilities and/ or health conditions.

Personal Independence Payment

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of personal independence payment claimants are refused that entitlement upon making a claim.

Sarah Newton: The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants who have been disallowed an award since the introduction of PIP in April 2013 can be found on page 3 in our annual publication “Personal Independence Payment: Official Statistics to July 2017” located at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-july-2017.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of personal independence payment claimants are successful on appeal at tribunal.

Sarah Newton: Between April 2013 and June 2016, the latest dates for which data is available, 4% of Personal Independence Payment decisions were overturned at appeal.

Universal Credit

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Government's definition is of what constitutes a change in circumstance in the transition to universal credit.

Damian Hinds: I refer the Member to the response given on 4 May 2016 to PQ 35357.

Rents: Young People

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people aged 18 to 21 currently receive help with rent in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) the North West and (c) England.

Caroline Dinenage: The information requested is not available. Data will become available as this policy area matures.

Social Security Benefits

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families currently receiving benefits have three children or more in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) the North West and (c) England.

Caroline Dinenage: Data for Liverpool, Walton constituency are not available.Table 1. Families currently in receipt of one or more benefit  Families in millions NorthWestEnglandFamilies with 3 or more children0.10.9 Source: Family Resources Survey 2015/16The figures in Table 1 are estimates derived from the Family Resources Survey. The Family Resources Survey is designed to provide robust information at former Government Office Region level. Therefore data for Liverpool, Walton constituency are not available. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 100,000.The Family Resources Survey is a nationally representative sample of UK households. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-201516The figures from the Family Resources Survey are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the Family Resources Survey to former Government Office Region populations by age and sex. Estimates based on survey data are subject to uncertainty due to sampling error and remaining non-response error.Figures presented here are for 2015/16 – this is the most recent year that data are currently available.Relative to administrative records, the FRS under-reports benefit receipt – see Methodology Table M.6 in the Family Resources Survey publication.In this analysis a family is defined as ‘a single adult or couple living as married and any dependent children’. A dependent child is aged 16 or under, or is 16 to 19 years old, unmarried and in full-time non-advanced education.The following benefits have been including in this analysis; Disability Living Allowance, Child Benefit, Pension Credit, State Pension, Widow's Pension/Bereavement Allowance/Widowed Mothers Allowance, Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, War Widow's/Widower's Pension, Severe Disability Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance, Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, Maternity Allowance, Government Training Allowances, Guardians Allowance, Widow's Payment, Winter Fuel Payments, Extended Housing Benefit, Housing Benefit, Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit.Note the inclusion of Child Benefit. The vast majority of families with three or more children are in receipt of Child Benefit. Therefore these figures are very close to population figures for the number of families with 3 or more children.

Universal Credit: Disability

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to collect information on the experiences of disabled people claiming universal credit.

Damian Hinds: We continue to evaluate the policy as it is delivered. The Universal Credit Evaluation is a comprehensive and multi-dimensional programme of analysis designed to assess the economic, social and behavioural impacts of the Universal Credit experience. Research and analysis is conducted to provide continuous tracking and inform the evaluation and the expansion of Universal Credit, focusing specifically on the effects of Universal Credit on all claimants’ behaviours and outcomes.

Universal Credit: Disability

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of disabled people who will be entitled to transitional protection through managed migration from legacy benefits to universal credit.

Damian Hinds: The requested information is not available.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to amend universal credit rules to allow deduction of unreimbursed work expenses as is the case in the tax credits system; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: The Universal Credit calculation uses earnings information received through Her Majesty’s Revenue and Custom’s automatic ‘Real Time Information’ (RTI) PAYE data transfer which does not include unreimbursed expenses. Claimants can then challenge this RTI figure by providing necessary evidence, such as unreimbursed work expenses, which a Decision Maker will consider under Regulation 41 of the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 2013.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 9 November 2017 to Question 111087 on telephone services, how many of his Department's telephone lines are (a) 01, 02 or 03, (b) chargeable 08, (c) 0800 or 0808, (d) 084, (e) 087 and (f) any other numbers.

Caroline Dinenage: The breakdown of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) telephone numbers is as follows; a) There are approximately 80,000 01, 02 telephone numbers that are a mixture of public facing and internal telephone numbers. There are 296 0345 telephone numbers and 18 0300 lines;b) DWP does not use any paid 08 telephone numbers;c) 74 0800 lines and four 0808 telephone numbers;d) DWP has 298 0845 telephone numbers that are no longer in use. Anyone that dials one of our old 0845 telephone numbers will hear a recorded message advising them to redial the 0345 alternative. There is no charge for this call.e) DWP does not use any 087 telephone numbers; andf) No other numbering ranges are used by the Department.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to introduce a universal credit service to support vulnerable claimants analogous to HM Revenue and Customs' Needs Enhanced Support.

Damian Hinds: We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either internally or via referral to local services delivered in partnership with other relevant agencies and organisations. Where claimants have no capability to make or manage their claim on-line, telephone and face to face support is available with staff also able to refer to specialist provision.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to amend universal credit rules to allow deduction of pension contributions in applying the minimum income floor; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: We have no plans to amend the rules.

Department for Work and Pensions: Social Media

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in his Department with responsibility for social media are employed on an (a) full and (b) part-time basis.

Caroline Dinenage: Social media plays an important role in both our communications and delivery and therefore responsibility is shared by several teams across the Department, including DWP Strategic Communications, DWP Digital Group and across the Jobcentre Plus network overseen by the Operational Excellence Division. AreaNumber of peopleStrategic Communications2 Full time, 1 Part timeDWP Digital Group5 Full timeJobcentre Plus Network3 Full time and 1 Part time

European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to seek formal agreement to participate in the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority after the UK leaves the EU.

Guy Opperman: We are committed to ensuring that all important functions currently carried out by public bodies at an EU level can be carried out at a UK level in time for exit day. Whether the UK will wish to seek agreement to continue as an EIOPA member once we leave the European Union will depend on the outcome of the broader negotiations about the UK’s trade in financial services.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to train staff about whether potentially vulnerable claimants should be placed in the all work requirements group.

Damian Hinds: Conditionality, i.e. allocation to the all work related requirements group, is driven by claimant circumstances as specified in legislation - whilst identification and appropriate handling for vulnerable claimants should be a part of interactions with all claimants, regardless of conditionality. All Work Coaches complete learning designed specifically for their role to support customers, whatever their needs. This learning combines the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to coach claimants effectively so that they are able to identify for themselves what they need to do to find work and how best to do it. Work Coaches are expected to identify and support vulnerable claimants, recognise and consider the impact of complex circumstances and adjust the requirements expected from claimants.

Funerals: Costs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of data in the Royal London National Funeral Cost Index 2017 on the difference between average funeral costs and average Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment (SFFEP) awards; what assessment he has made of trends in the difference between average funeral costs and average SFFEP awards; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: We continue to monitor the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments scheme and work towards improving it, while supporting the most vulnerable with their funeral expenses. As part of this work, my officials have worked extensively with representatives of the funeral industry and the Royal London is one of these. In the past ten years, the average Funeral Expenses Payment has increased in value by about 28% from £1,117 in 2006/07 to £1,427 in 2016/17 while inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index measure increased by around 26%.

Funerals: Fees and Charges

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his Department's policy to raise the funeral director's fees element of the funeral fund in line with inflation; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: The Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments scheme comprises two elements. The first element covers the ‘necessary’ costs of arranging a funeral, which can include: the purchase of a grave; necessary burial or cremation fees; the cost of any medical references or the removal of active implanted medical devices for cremations; reasonable costs if a body has to be moved more than fifty miles; and travel costs for the applicant to arrange and attend the funeral. These ‘necessary’ costs are paid in full and there is no maximum contribution. The second element covers all other costs, including the funeral director’s fees. These other costs are subject to a maximum of £700. We have no plans at this time to review this component of the scheme.

Tata Steel: Occupational Pensions

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provision was made for advice to be given to members of the Tata Steel pension scheme on their pension options after the creation of the new pensions scheme; and what the cost to the public purse of that provision was.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department provides free advice to Tata Steel pension scheme members on their pension options.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had or plans to have with the Pension Protection Fund on the number of Tata Steel pension scheme members requesting valuations to transfer their pots out of the scheme.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had or plans to have with the Financial Conduct Authority on the specific targeting of cold calls to Tata Steel pension members by financial advisers.

Guy Opperman: The Trustee of the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) is providing information to members on the effect on their pension rights of either staying in the original scheme which will move in to the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) or transferring to the new scheme. This includes newsletters, a website, bespoke option packs and access to free and impartial helplines. The Trustee cannot provide financial advice but members who may want independent advice are signposted to the www.unbiased.co.uk website. They are also warned to check that the Independent Financial Advisor from whom they receive advice is authorised by the FCA to advise on defined benefit pensions by looking them up on FCA’s register. The BSPS trustee is also warning members about the risk of bad advice and scams in its communication with members. The Department does not provide formal advice to any pension scheme members. The Department is not authorised to provide financial advice. However, the free service provided by the Pensions Advisory Service may be able to clarify or explain information that members have received from their scheme to help them better understand their options. The Pensions Regulator has encouraged the BSPS trustee to repeat the warnings to members at the ongoing road show meetings it is holding with members to ensure they are fully informed about their options. The PPF has been invited to these roadshows to answer questions and provide information on how the PPF operates. The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the PPF regarding the number of BSPS members requesting transfer valuations since this is a matter for the Trustee rather than the PPF or the Government. Government is in ongoing discussion with the FCA on the issue of cold calling and wider issues concerning advice. These discussions will take account of the circumstances surrounding Tata Steel. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is aware of concerns around this issue and is urgently arranging to meet the firms in Swansea that hold the permission to advise on pension transfers in order to set out their expectations of advisers. The FCA can use their supervisory tools where they suspect authorised firms of being involved in pension scams. These tools include restrictions on a firm’s permission to do certain types of business. When unauthorised firms carry on regulated pension business, the FCA has the power to investigate and take action through the criminal and civil courts.

Universal Credit: Waltham Forest

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the planned date for the transition to full service of universal credit is for the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

Damian Hinds: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Universal Credit

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how and when claimants will be advised of changes to their benefits when universal credit full service is rolled out to different claimant groups.

Damian Hinds: Unless there is a relevant change of circumstance that would previously have prompted a new claim to another legacy benefit or Tax Credit, claimants will remain on their existing arrangements until we begin transferring claimants to Universal Credit from July 2019.

Home Office

Slavery

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 25 October 2016 to Question 48814, on slavery, if she will provide further data for (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Victoria Atkins: The table below sets out the number of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals that have been suspended before Reasonable and Conclusive Grounds decision stages between 2009 and 2016. NRM decisions are suspended when it is not possible to gather further information to make a decision, for example if the Competent Authority decision makers become aware that the individual referred has gone missing. In such cases, the Competent Authority must ensure the missing individual has been reported to the police. YearTotal Number of Potential Victims Referred to National Referral Mechanism (NRM)Potential victim reported exploitation asSuspended Pre-Reasonable Grounds decisionSuspended Pre-Conclusive Grounds decision2009534Adult (385)212Minor (149)2102010712Adult (525)210Minor (187)672011945Adult (647)19Minor (298)31920121183Adult (812)310Minor (370)734Unknown (1)0020131745Adult (1,297)920Minor (448)151720142339Adult (1,667)526Minor (672)32520153262Adult (2,284)535Minor (978)235220163804Adult (2,527)432Minor (1277)1321 The Government is committed to ensuring that children who have been trafficked receive the right support, including through the national roll-out of Independent Child Trafficking Advocates. The Advocates will help to protect trafficked children from further harm, including preventing children from being re-trafficked or going missing.On 16 January, the Home Secretary announced the award of £2.2m from the Child Trafficking Protection Fund (CTPF) to seven organisations to protect vulnerable children in the UK and overseas who are at risk of trafficking. The CTPF has two objectives. First, victim support and recovery, including specialist care to trafficked children. Second, reducing vulnerability to exploitation, by preventing trafficked children from going missing and potentially being re-trafficked. The projects cover a range of proposals including tailored support for trafficking victims from various cultures, developing skills and expertise in local areas, and a specialist accommodation pilot.

Home Office: Telephone Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of her Department's public phone-lines charge members of the public to call.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office has 24 public phone lines in use across its contact centres. All of these numbers are chargeable.

Offences against Children: Merseyside

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of child exploitation by criminal gangs across Merseyside.

Victoria Atkins: Intelligence and information on child criminal exploitation is collected at individual force level and Merseyside Police will hold the relevant information. At a national level, the National Crime Agency (NCA) is responsible for producing a national threat assessment on county lines based on information provided by individual forces and Regional Organised Crime Units and this includes child criminal exploitation. The next national threat assessment by the NCA is due to be published very shortly. We are taking firm action to tackle the issue of child criminal exploitation and county lines this includes: publishing new guidance for practitioners on identifying county lines and helping those being exploited; funding a pilot service for exploited young people caught up in county lines drugs running; match-funding local reviews to build resilience in areas where there are concerns about county lines; and we will be shortly implementing new powers to enable the police to close down mobile phone numbers that are being used to deal drugs as part of the county lines model.

Breathalysers

Ian Blackford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Minister of her Department personally approved by seal and signature the Intoximeter EC/IR breath analysis device in June 2005 for use by police forces in the UK.

Mr Nick Hurd: Ministerial approval for the Intoximeter EC/IR breath analysis device was granted in 2005 by the then Home Office Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, the late Paul Goggins.

Rifles: Licensing

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on reasons accepted by police licensing authorities to issue firearms certificates for .50 calibre rifles.

Mr Nick Hurd: The firearms licensing function in respect of firearm and shotgun certificates is administered by the police. The Home Office does not hold information in relation to those firearms applications. However, in general terms, before granting or renewing a certificate, the chief officer of police must be satisfied that the applicant can be permitted to have the firearm(s)/ammunition in their possession without danger to the public safety or to the peace. There is a range of legitimate reasons to hold firearms in this country, which includes target shooting with these rifles.

Rifles

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the cost and availability of ammunition for .50 calibre rifles in the UK.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not hold information about the cost or availability of ammunition for .50 calibre rifles in the UK beyond that which is advertised commercially. The ammunition is subject to control under section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 and a person wishing to purchase or to home load their own ammunition must hold a valid firearm certificate issued by the police.

Rifles

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of her Department's approved shooting clubs use .50 calibre rifles for target shooting.

Mr Nick Hurd: No shooting clubs approved by the Secretary of State are authorised to use .50 calibre rifles for target shooting although some club members do shoot these rifles under the authority of their own personal firearms certificate.

Prostitution: Criminal Records

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effect of Disclosure and Barring Service regulations on prostitution-related offences on the prospects of women who want to leave prostitution.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Affairs Select Committee report on prostitution recommended erasing prostitution-specific criminal records. However, as set out in the Government response, we believe that a greater understanding of the prevalence and nature of prostitution in England and Wales is required prior to considering further changes to relevant policy and legislation. The Home Office has committed £150,000 to commission this research. It is up to employers to decide on the suitability of any applicant for any job, taking into account all the information available, which may include criminal records information as appropriate to the role applied for.

Visas

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2017 to Question 108858, on visas, what percentage of non-straightforward applications for 2017 Q1 were completed within service standards.

Brandon Lewis: The specific data requested is not available. Where a case is defined as non-straightforward due to its complexity (for example Human Right Claims) the case sits outside service standards. Published information on visa processing times within service standards is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-august-2017

Domestic Violence

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with whom she plans to consult on new measures to tackle domestic violence and abuse; and when that consultation will commence.

Victoria Atkins: We will be publishing a public consultation later this year to inform the development of our domestic abuse programme. We recognise how important it is to get this right which is why we have already been in close contact with key partners and experts to shape our thinking. We will welcome responses from anyone who wishes to contribute, and we will be engaging with a range of partners including professionals, victims, experts and wider communities.

Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 7 September 2017 to Questions 6955 and 8408, what public appointments process was used to appoint the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner for a second term; and how his performance in that role was reviewed.

Victoria Atkins: The first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner was appointed by Government on a three-year fixed term contract which ends later this year.Decisions in relation to this appointment will be taken in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments published on 16 December 2016.

Immigration: Applications

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of immigration applications made via the premium service at UK Visas and Immigration have been completed within the service standard time in the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: UKVI transparency data provides details of how the Premium Service Centres perform against that service standard. Links to the most recent available quarterly data are provided here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-november-2016https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-february-2017https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-may-2017https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-country-migration-data-august-2017 The data in table InC07 is the closest match to the information requested.

UK Visas and Immigration: Correspondence

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of UK Visas and Immigration enquiries received from hon. Members have been answered within (a) four, (b) eight and (c) 10 weeks in the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: Data on the timeliness of responses to hon. Members is published by UK Visas and Immigration as part of the quarterly transparency data. The most recent data can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-august-2017 UKVI does not publish data in the four, eight and ten week format requested.

UK Visas and Immigration: Correspondence

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the timeliness of responses by UK Visas and Immigration to hon. Members' enquiries.

Brandon Lewis: UKVI has seen an unprecedented increase in the levels of enquiries from Hon Members since July, leading to a decline in timeliness of some responses. UKVI has deployed further resource to meet intake and assist in returning to previous levels of service.

Immigration: Applications

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of immigration applications have been completed within the service standard limit in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Brandon Lewis: Published data on UKVI’s performance against service standards for applications made in the UK and from overseas, including the proportion of cases classified as non-straightforward, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration. Where an application is defined as non-straightforward due to complexity, the customer will be written to within the normal processing time to explain why it will not be decided within the normal standard, and to explain what will happen next.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of cheap, super-strength alcohol on levels of crime and antisocial behaviour.

Victoria Atkins: The association between the consumption of cheap, super-strength beers and ciders and anti-social behaviour and low level crime is well known. The Government has set out its approach to reducing alcohol-related crime and disorder in the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published in 2016.Alcohol-related violent incidents, as measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales, has fallen from 901,000 in 2009/10 to 491,000 in 2015/16; the proportion of people reporting drunk or rowdy behaviour as a problem in their neighbourhood has also fallen, from 24% in 2009/10 to 16% in 2016/17.

Asylum: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people aged 18 to 25 who applied for asylum as unaccompanied children were served with removal directions in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office does not hold the information in the format requested

Extradition: Romania

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of Romanian criminals in the UK appealing extradition to Romania on the grounds that the size of prison cells in that country breach Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Brandon Lewis: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is working closely with the Romanian Ministry of Justice to ensure that all wanted Romanians currently in the UK are extradited as quickly as possible. My officials continue to work with the CPS to obtain adequate assurances in respect of Romanian prison conditions to make extraditions possible.

Police: Cross Border Cooperation

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to seek formal co-operative relations with the European Police Office after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The Government recently set out its proposals for an ambitious strategic agreement with the EU that provides a comprehensive framework for our future security, law enforcement and criminal justice cooperation that delivers the capabilities our operational partners need to keep our people safe. Our proposals are set out in “Security, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice – a future partnership paper” which was published on 18 September, available on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-law-enforcement-and-criminal-justice-a-future-partnership-paper.The details of the UK’s future relationship with the EU, including our cooperation with agencies such as the European Policing Office (Europol) and the EU's Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust) will be subject to negotiation. Public safety in the UK and the rest of Europe will therefore be at the heart of this aspect of our negotiations.

Slavery: Compensation

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reparation orders have been made under section 8 of the Modern Slavery Act in the last 12 months.

Victoria Atkins: No slavery and trafficking reparation orders have been made since their introduction under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 coming into force for offences committed after 31st July 2015. They can only be made once someone has been convicted of a relevant offence and the Crown Court has made a confiscation order against them. Modern slavery prosecutions are complex and often take a long time to complete. As the number of concluded prosecutions rise, we expect to see a rise in the number of reparation orders.

Judicial Co-operation Unit

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to seek formal cooperative relations with the EU's Judicial Cooperation Unit after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The Government recently set out its proposals for an ambitious strategic agreement with the EU that provides a comprehensive framework for our future security, law enforcement and criminal justice cooperation that delivers the capabilities our operational partners need to keep our people safe. Our proposals are set out in “Security, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice – a future partnership paper” which was published on 18 September, available on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-law-enforcement-and-criminal-justice-a-future-partnership-paper.The details of the UK’s future relationship with the EU, including our cooperation with agencies such as the European Policing Office (Europol) and the EU's Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust) will be subject to negotiation. Public safety in the UK and the rest of Europe will therefore be at the heart of this aspect of our negotiations.

Immigrants: English Language

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria were used to verify the TOEIC system for visa applications.

Brandon Lewis: The Education Testing System (ETS) TOEIC test was admitted to the list of approved test providers following a project to produce a new list of English language test providers. The project was launched on 9 December 2010 and ran until 31 January 2011. The criteria for inclusion on the list was published on the UK Border Agency website on 9 December 2010, and is available on the National Archives at:http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110413094211/http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/esol-providers/

Overseas Students: English Language

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on (a) internal investigations, (b) court fees and (c) deportation in cases involving TOEIC students.

Brandon Lewis: This information is unavailable because Home Office data systems are unable to disaggregate costs in line with the categories in the question.

Refugees: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children have had their claims certified in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017 to date.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office publishes data on the number of certified refusals for applications made by Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in tables as_09 and as_09_q of immigration statistics April to June 2017: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638599/asylum3-apr-jun-2017-tables.ods

Refugees: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children who have had their claim certified have subsequently been removed from the UK in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017 to date.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office publishes data on the number of certified refusals for applications made by Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in tables as_09 and as_09_q of immigration statistics April to June 2017: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638599/asylum3-apr-jun-2017-tables.ods However, the number of those who are refused and certified, who are then removed from the UK is not recorded in a reportable format. Statistics on general asylum and non-asylum removals are available in table 02 of Immigration Statistics April to June 2017: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638602/returns1-apr-jun-2017-tables.ods

Northern Ireland Office

Employment: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the number of jobs in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The economy in Northern Ireland remains strong. The unemployment rate is down to 4.0 per cent over the year, the lowest since the great recession in 2008, and those receiving unemployment-related benefits has decreased again, falling by more than 26,000 claimants since early 2010. More than 10,000 new jobs were created in Northern Ireland over the year, meaning more people with the security of a regular pay packet for themselves and their family. We are committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. That is outlined in the Northern Ireland and Ireland Position Paper, published on 16 August 2017. We are positive about the opportunities that our departure presents to Northern Ireland – getting out into the world and doing business right across the globe, while at home building a UK that works for everyone. That is demonstrated by our desire to work with a restored Executive towards a comprehensive and ambitious set of City Deals for Northern Ireland, just as it is by the £4.7bn Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund that will help to deliver innovation, employment and growth right across the UK.

Northern Ireland: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

Chloe Smith: The Civil Service has set out five priorities for the health and wellbeing of its employees, including priorities in relation to physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, the Civil Service has also committed to being a leading employer on mental health support, in line with the recommendations set out in the recently published independent review Thriving At Work. The Northern Ireland Office is able to access a number of services, including welfare support and employee assistance programmes, through our links with the Ministry of Justice. Specific support for staff who have mental health issues include: An independent Employee Assistance Provision that provides confidential counselling sessions for employees, 24 hour telephone support, coaching for managers, mediation and group counselling; Access to an internet Wellbeing Zone which contains wellbeing advice, fact sheets and videos on managing stress, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle choices. This is also part of our Employee Assistance Provision; An Occupational Health provider that offers medical advice for managers supporting employees with mental health issues; An attendance management system that is aligned with our wellbeing strategy and encourages proactive interventions for employees with mental health issues, including prompt Occupational Health referrals with a view to ensuring that supportive measures and reasonable adjustments are identified and implemented promptly; An individual Stress Assessment process; and Toolkits for managers which recognise the links between musculoskeletal illnesses and mental health conditions. In addition, more recently, the Northern Ireland Office ran Resilience Workshops in the summer of 2017, launched Wellbeing pages on the departmental Intranet in October 2017 signposting resources to support wellbeing, offered stress awareness sessions for all staff in November 2017 and currently operates walking groups in both Belfast and London locations.

Northern Ireland Government

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will appoint an independent person to chair the talks between the main political parties in Northern Ireland to agree the means for restoring a functioning assembly at Stormont; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: On behalf of the Government I have been engaging intensively with the parties and, as appropriate, the Irish Government towards the restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland. The parties have made significant progress but some issues remain outstanding. Our focus now needs to be on finding a compromise on these issues. At present, I believe the parties are best placed to do this through direct discussion, with the support of the UK Government and the Irish Government in accordance with the three stranded approach.

Northern Ireland Government

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his oral contribution of 13 November 2017, Official Report, column 72, for what reasons the full staffing allowances of MLAs have been omitted from the remit of the independent review announced on 13 November 2017; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The remit of the advice sought from Mr Trevor Reaney does include support and provision for the employment of Members’ staff. The full remit is set out in my letter to Mr Reaney and is available on the Northern Ireland Office website:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659476/mla_pay_letter__scanned_.pdf

Northern Ireland Government

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his oral contribution of 13 November 2017, Official Report, column 72, if he will confirm that the independent assessment being undertaken into the continued payment of MLA salaries in the absence of a functioning Assembly will be published; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: I can confirm that I intend to publish Mr Reaney’s advice as to how we should approach pay and allowances for Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly in the continued absence of an Executive.

Borders: Republic of Ireland

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made on defining the nature of the border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: As made clear in our Position Paper on Northern Ireland and Ireland, published in August, and in the Prime Minister’s Florence speech in September, we remain firmly committed to avoiding a hard border, including no physical infrastructure between Northern Ireland and Ireland. This is a point on which we have remained clear throughout.In doing so, there can be no border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland or anything that fractures the internal market of the United Kingdom, which benefits Northern Ireland hugely.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

World War I: Anniversaries

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to commemorate the centenary of Armistice Day in November 2018.

John Glen: The Centenary of Armistice Day, which in 2018 falls on Remembrance Sunday, will be referenced within the traditional Cenotaph service. In addition there will also be an expanded march-past the Cenotaph after the service, followed by a national service of commemoration and thanksgiving in the evening in Westminster Abbey. There will also be a national concert to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War in Birmingham, supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Broadband: Universal Service Obligation

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect on (a) technological development and (b) minimum speeds of the proposal by BT to deliver the Universal Service Obligation.

Matt Hancock: The Department is looking at two approaches for delivering universal broadband of at least 10Mbps - a regulatory USO and BT's voluntary proposal. Assessment of both approaches is ongoing, and a decision will be made in due course on which approach best meets consumers' needs.

Gaming Machines

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made in reducing the maximum stakes of fixed-odds betting terminals; and if she will make a statement.

Tracey Crouch: The Government issued a call for evidence to inform the Review of Gaming Machine Stakes and Prizes and Social Responsibility Measures last year. Following on from the call for evidence the Government published on 31 October a consultation which includes options on reducing the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals. The consultation, and its accompanying impact assessment, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures

Broadband and Mobile Phones: Investment

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress she has made on digital infrastructure investment to support the next generation of mobile and broadband communications; and if she will make a statement.

Matt Hancock: We have provided £1.1 billion of new funding to support the next generation of digital infrastructure in the UK, including investment in full fibre networks and 5G testbeds and trials.The Government’s policy ambitions in this area are outlined in the Digital and 5G strategies, which set out an ambitious set of actions that we will take.DCMS has been engaging widely with industry, academic institutions and local areas as it progresses work in this area. The first waves of projects under both programmes have been announced.We will keep our approach under review to ensure that we have the right market and policy framework to maximise future investment in full fibre and 5G technologies.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in her Department.

Matt Hancock: The Civil Service has set out five priorities for the health and wellbeing of its employees, including priorities in relation to physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, the Civil Service has also committed to being a leading employer on mental health support, in line with the recommendations set out in the recently published independent review Thriving At Work. We will benchmark our department to see how the support we provide employees currently measures up to the recommendations set out in the October 2017 Farmer/Stevenson review. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has also recently been awarded level 3 of the Disability Confident Scheme. In DCMS dedicated Health and Well-being help is available on the intranet. This covers the Civil Service priority areas and includes information on how to cope with stress with frequent articles and blogs on mental health, musculoskeletal issues and embracing a healthy lifestyle. In addition the Department provides information and support to help all employees to stay well and manage their health conditions at work. This support includes a variety of programmes like occupational health support, counselling support through the Employee Assistance Programme, HR Casework team and the Civil Service Workplace Adjustments Service which helps with adjustments for employees suffering from a mental health or physical condition. Line Managers also have access to a Stress Assessment and Reduction Plan toolkit for identifying and managing stress when required. The Department is a signatory to the Time to Change Pledge and raises awareness of the support available through national campaigns such as the “Time to Talk” day and the Mental Health Awareness Week. The Department supports the Employee Mental Health Network with a Senior Civil Servant Champion and has introduced Mental Health First Aiders and Champions who are trained to provide support and guide people towards appropriate professional help. The Network has had the visible support of the Department’s Permanent Secretary and Ministers. The Civil Service Unconscious Bias training is mandatory for all employees and the Department is working with line managers to support individuals with mental health conditions, part of which is encouraging line managers to undertake the Mental Health Awareness eLearning available on the Civil Service Learning Portal. The department participates in the Civil Service Workplace Challenges which promotes physical activities such as The Active Lunch Challenge, the Walking Challenge and the Physical Activity Week. We also promote national campaigns such as the One You campaign.

Charities: Data Protection

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the preparedness of charities to implement change required by the General Data Protection Regulation from May 2018.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support she has provided to help charities adapt to changes introduced by the General Data Protection Regulation from May 2018.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will include training on preparing for General Data Protection Regulation changes from May 2018 in the small charities fundraising training programme.

Tracey Crouch: The Government and the Information Commissioner recognise the challenges facing organisations across the UK, including charities, in their preparations for the Data Protection Bill and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). A recent survey by the Institute of Fundraising found that three quarters of charities have started preparations for the new law. However, the survey also found that 22 per cent of charities had not reviewed their data protection practices or begun preparations for the new regime. In February 2017, the Charity Commission, Fundraising Regulator and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) held a joint conference to help fundraising charities prepare for forthcoming changes. The Fundraising Regulator also published guidance for charities and fundraisers on complying with the law. There are already resources on the ICO website (ico.org.uk) to help organisations employing fewer than 250 people prepare for the data protection regime. This month the ICO has launched a dedicated helpline service for SMEs including charities and has updated its SME toolkit to reflect the requirements of GDPR. The ICO will also be simplifying its "12-step" GDPR preparation guidance in response to requests from SMEs and will continue to develop further guidance on both the Bill and GDPR. Small charities and SMEs can also make use of the ICO's advisory visit service which provides organisations with practical advice on improving their data protection practices. The Office for Civil Society’s small charities fundraising training programme already includes training on the GDPR, in recognition of the need to support small charities with meeting the new legal requirements. The Government, Fundraising Regulator and the ICO will continue to support the charity sector to ensure it is prepared for the changes.

Broadband: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to provide superfast broadband in (a) rural communities and (b) West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine constituency.

Matt Hancock: Over 94 per cent of UK premises have access to superfast broadband and coverage is on track to reach 95 per cent by the end of the year. Superfast broadband coverage will extend beyond that to at least another 2 per cent of premises. For premises not covered by superfast broadband, the government will ensure universal broadband of at least 10Mbps. Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are participating in the testing of the gigabit voucher scheme as part of the Local Full Fibre Networks Programme and all local bodies in Scotland and the UK will be able to submit bids for further projects under the programme later this year.

Social Media: Privacy

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to protect social media users' privacy from social networks while using video and microphone equipped devices.

Matt Hancock: The first data protection principle states that organisations, including social media companies, must have legitimate grounds for collecting and using personal data and handle people's personal data only in ways they would reasonably expect. Where organisations breach data protection principles, they are liable for enforcement action from the ICO. We are currently legislating for a new Data Protection Bill. The Bill will set new standards for protecting general data, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, giving people more control over use of their data, and providing new rights to move or delete personal data. As part of the work on the Digital Charter, which was announced in the Queen's speech, the Government is considering a range of options to counter internet harms. This includes an Internet Safety Strategy, published on 11 October, which will look at how we can support users so that everyone can access the benefits of the internet safely. The objectives of our Strategy are underpinned by three key principles. We believe that what is unacceptable offline should be unacceptable online, all users should be empowered to manage online risks and stay safe and that technology companies have a responsibility to their users.

Museums and Galleries: Copyright

Mr Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with representatives from national museums sponsored by her Department on the issue of copyright on photographic reproductions of paintings, prints and drawings in the collections of those museums; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the total net income received by national museums sponsored by her Department as a result of charging for photographic reproductions of out of copyright artworks in the last financial year for which figures are available.

John Glen: Decisions about image reproduction, reproduction fees, and related copyright, are operational matters for the national museums as arm’s length bodies of government. As such, we do not hold data on the amount of income raised by image fees. Details of the process for requesting permission to reproduce images can be found on the respective websites of the national museums.

Cultural Heritage

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2017 to Question 108578, on cultural heritage, whether the figures cited include monies for the safeguarding of crafts other than those that contribute to the maintenance or restoration of an existing tangible heritage asset; and whether the Heritage Lottery Fund has set aside a specific sum for securing the continuation of those same crafts not including recording and oral history.

John Glen: Heritage Lottery Fund do not have a specific budget allocated for craft-focused projects but there are many open programmes including Sharing Heritage, Our Heritage and Heritage Grants that are designed to be flexible and accommodate applications which meet the varied needs of the heritage sector.

UK City of Culture

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, at which locations staff of her Department working on issues related to (a) Hull City of Culture 2017 and (b) other City of Culture bids are based.

John Glen: Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport staff working on UK City of Culture are based in 100 Parliament Street. The team have visited each of the five cities shortlisted to host UK City of Culture 2021 and regularly visit Hull.

National Football League

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on establishing a National Football League franchise in the UK.

Tracey Crouch: The Government is hugely supportive of the NFL in London, and welcome the investment and economic benefits. The Government’s sport strategy, Sporting Future, made a commitment to support new sports in the UK, including through greater links with the National Football League, with the aspiration that a new franchise might one day be based here. This year marked ten years of London hosting the NFL International Series. Sell outs and the extra game this year show the appetite for NFL in the UK is growing. The NFL's executive vice president of international, Mark Waller, recently stated the NFL's ambition remains to bring a franchise to London by 2022.

Sports

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which groups she has met to discuss pension and workplace rights for elite GB athletes who receive UK Sport or National Lottery funding; and when those meetings took place.

Tracey Crouch: No such meetings have taken place. Financial support for individual athletes is made through the Lottery-funded Athlete Performance Awards which serve to contribute to meeting the athlete’s ordinary living costs and their personal sporting costs, and are awarded on an annual basis subject to a number of criteria including athletes' level of performance. As promised in the Sporting Future strategy, Government commissioned an independent report by Baroness Grey-Thompson on the Duty of Care owed by sport to its participants. That report was published in April and covered a range of issues relating to elite and grassroots sport. UK Sport is ​currently considering that report in the context of making improvements to the high performance system.

Olympic Games

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will discuss with the British Olympic Association renaming the Olympic Team from Team GB to Team UK.

Tracey Crouch: We do not intend to hold discussions with the British Olympic Association (BOA), an independent organisation, ​about​ renaming the Olympic team from Team GB to Team UK. The BOA is responsible for the trading name and branding of the Olympic team representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the UK Overseas Territories.

Social Media: Russia

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the role of social media platforms in alleged Russian interference in the 2016 EU Referendum.

Matt Hancock: Ministers from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have regular meetings with their ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.

Culture: Finance

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to establish a Cultural Development Fund to use cultural investment for community regeneration.

John Glen: The Conservative manifesto stated Government would introduce a Cultural Development Fund to use cultural investment to turn around communities, and we will set out further details in due course.

Sports: Training

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on trends in number of volunteer sports coaches supporting youth sports clubs in the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Tracey Crouch: The table below provides information taken from Sport England's Active People Survey for the period October 2011 to October 2016. It shows the percentage of adults who volunteered in a coaching role. It should be noted this includes all volunteer sports coaches and not just those volunteering in sports club or, more specifically, a youth sports club. 2011/12 (APS6)4.24%2012/13 (APS7)3.83%2013/14 (APS8)3.96%2014/15 (APS9)4.18%2015/16 (APS10)3.77% Since 2016 people's engagement in sport and physical activity has been measured via the Active Lives Survey. This provides a broader and more nuanced set of data on the different types of physical activity that people take part in, including for the first time ever, activities such walking and types of dance. It now also captures information about sports volunteering. The Government’s sport strategy ‘Sporting Future’ published in December 2015 takes a new approach to volunteering. It recognises the value to volunteers themselves as well as to sports and the importance of recruiting, retaining and rewarding volunteers who are representative of the entire population. Sport England launched their new Volunteering strategy on 1st December 2016 and is investing over £20 million over 4 years (2017 - 21) to support its implementation. The strategy aims to allow more people to engage in all types of volunteering through sport and physical activity. It also seeks to ensure better quality, meaningful volunteering experiences.

Social Media: Advertising

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the total advertising spend across social media platforms in the UK in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Matt Hancock: We have made no such assessment. However, DCMS does produce annual estimates of the contributions of all of its sectors (including the Creative Industries, and within that the 'Advertising and Marketing' sub-sector) to the UK economy, measuring their GVA, imports and exports of goods and services, employment, and number of enterprises. These statistics can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dcms-sectors-economic-estimates.

Department of Health

NHS Trusts: Private Finance Initiative

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the change in PFI payments by NHS hospital trusts between 2017-18 and 2019-20; and what proportion of funding increases for the NHS that change represents.

Mr Philip Dunne: Information on the estimated revenue payments for the lifetime of each health sector private finance initiative contract can be found on the Treasury’s website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-finance-initiative-and-private-finance-2-projects-2016-summary-dataThese are the latest estimates collected from each Department. The health sector schemes are clearly marked “Department of Health” and then “DH-Acute (i.e. Hospitals)”. The table shows the estimated future annual unitary payments (UP) for each year to the end of each contract. UPs are subject to meeting agreed performance and quality standards, contractual variations agreed between the parties, and include an annual assumption for inflation, the impact of which can vary between schemes depending on when it is applied during the year. It is therefore not possible to make a direct comparison to annual National Health Service planned budgets.

NHS: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) trainee general practitioners and (b) other medical and administrative staff in the NHS have their pay administered by outsourced firms; and what the total value is of contracts for such pay administration with outsourced firms.

Steve Brine: General practitioner (GP) registrars are employed, and therefore paid, either by a lead employer or directly by a training GP practice. Information about which GP practices outsource administration of their payroll, and the total value of these contracts, is not collected centrally. The number of other medical and administrative staff in the National Health Service who have their pay administered by outsourced firms, and the total value of these contracts, is not collected centrally.

Department of Health: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department's publication Ministerial hospitality, 1 April to 30 June 2017, published on 13 October 2017, whether (a) representatives or employees of the firm which offered that hospitality and (b) lobbyists or contractors of those firms were present at those events.

Mr Philip Dunne: A list of specific attendees at events attended by Ministers is not held centrally.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of each clinical commissioning group's allocated budget is allocated to children and young people's mental health.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England does not stipulate how clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) set their budgets for any specific programme area. CCGs are required to determine their budgets based on their own needs-based assessment and national operational requirements outlined in planning guidance. NHS England’s Mental Health Investment Standard requires the local National Health Service to increase mental health investment year on year and this includes prioritising spend on children and young people’s mental health.

General Practitioners

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase capacity in general practice in (a) Crawley constituency and (b) England.

Steve Brine: In April 2016, the General Practice Forward View set out a package of investment in general practice. This included a number of reforms which will increase capacity in general practice through recruitment and retention of general practitioners (GPs) and the wider workforce, and investment in extended access to GP services and the Time for Care programme. By 2020 the Government has committed to 5,000 additional GPs and 5,000 other staff in general practice; and by March 2019 everyone having access to GP services, including sufficient routine appointments at evenings and weekends to meet locally determined demand. The Time for Care programme will spread awareness of innovations that will help release capacity in general practice and facilitate local change programmes to implement them. Examples of these innovations include active signposting and developing the team. It is estimated that most practices can expect to release about 10% of GP time. The Time for Care programme provides support for groups of practices to implement their choice of the actions. To date, this has covered 115 clinical commissioning groups, available to 3,974 practices. In 2016/17 £2,000,000 of funding was awarded to NHS Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group to improve local GP practice resilience and sustainability and improve access to local GP services for patients.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase GP training to improve the detection of bowel cancer.

Steve Brine: The standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is an independent statutory body. The GMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that medical students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice. Continuing professional and personal development for registered professionals employed in the National Health Service is a matter for employers and those individuals.

Colorectal Cancer

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department takes to monitor adherence to waiting-time standards for suspected bowel cancer.

Steve Brine: Maintaining and improving patient access standards, including the eight cancer waiting times standards is a key objective of the Mandate to NHS England in 2017/18. NHS England has set out their approach to meeting and improving patient access standards in the ‘Next steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View’ which was produced in partnership with organisations including NHS Improvement. The Department uses performance data published on a monthly basis by NHS England to monitor compliance with the cancer waiting times standards and there are robust processes in place to hold NHS England and NHS Improvement to account for performance and ensure compliance with the cancer standard is discussed in the course of this process. The latest data for September 2017 showed that the National Health Service is meeting seven out of the eight cancer waiting times standards. The data can be accessed at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

Sepsis: Health Education

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of neonatal sepsis among mothers who have risk factors present.

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance is provided on written and verbal safety netting advice for mothers with risk factors for development of neonatal sepsis.

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what written and verbal safety netting advice is routinely shared with mothers around antenatal screening for the presence of pathogens associated with sepsis.

Mr Philip Dunne: In September, NHS England published the 2017 Cross-System Sepsis Action Plan. As part of this a number of activities are planned: - Action on safety netting will be embedded among all healthcare professionals assessing patients with infections;- Promote the implementation of a range of educational resources on sepsis produced by Health Education England and the Royal Colleges;- Ensure a specific focus on sepsis education for staff groups such as community pharmacists, community nurses, health visitors and healthcare assistants in care homes; and- NHS England and Public Health England will work with maternity networks and health visitors to ensure resources such as leaflets and on-line educational material are used by midwives and health visitors to help parents recognise serious illness in children and know what to do if they think their child is seriously ill. To support these activities, two safety netting videos on ‘Spotting the signs of sepsis’ and ‘Caring for children with fever at home’ have been published with the Health Innovation Network. In 2017/18 Public Health England’s activity to raise awareness of sepsis includes building sepsis messaging into the national Start4life Information Service for Parents email programme which reaches 430,000 parents of 0-5 year olds; distribution of leaflets and posters; social media and activity with a leading digital platform for parents.

Streptococcus: Screening

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to improve the screening for the presence of pathogens associated with neonatal sepsis such as Group B streptococcal disease.

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the number of mothers screened for the presence of pathogens associated with neonatal sepsis, such as Group B streptococcal disease, in England in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16 and (c) 2016-17.

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to make mothers aware of antenatal  screening for the presence of pathogens associated with neonatal sepsis, such as Group B streptococcal disease.

Mr Philip Dunne: Following the United Kingdom National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC’s) meeting in February 2017, the Government accepted the UK NSC’s recommendation that a population based screening programme for Group B streptococcal (GBS) carriage should not be offered. This is because there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the benefits to be gained from screening would outweigh the harms. As screening for GBS is not recommended, data as requested is not collected. The Chief Scientific Advisor has recommended that the National Institute of Health Research should commission a clinical trial to compare universal screening for GBS against usual-risk based care. This is to provide better quality evidence to assess the clinical effectiveness, benefits and harms of a screening programme. Information on GBS in pregnancy can be found on the NHS Choices which can be accessed here:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/pregnancy-infections.aspx

Streptococcus: Screening

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what training and information is provided to healthcare professionals about when to screen mothers for the presence of pathogens associated with neonatal sepsis, such as Group B streptococcal infection.

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information on neonatal sepsis is given to mothers with risk factors present; and what protocols are in place to ensure that information is provided to those mothers.

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information healthcare professionals are advised to give mothers with risk factors of neonatal sepsis regarding the need for screening for the presence of pathogens associated with neonatal sepsis.

Mr Philip Dunne: Health Education England has produced and continues to develop sepsis educational resources for healthcare professionals. This includes a number of resources to support the learning on sepsis recognition and management across the system in both primary and secondary care. The principal pathogen of potential concern in neonatal sepsis is Group B Streptococcus (GBS). Following the UK National Screening Committee’s meeting in February 2017, the Government accepted the Committee’s recommendation that a population based screening programme for GBS carriage should not be offered. However, the Chief Scientific Advisor recommended that the National Institute for Health Research should commission a clinical trial to compare universal screening for Group B Streptococcus against usual-risk based care. This has been approved and the trial is expected to complete around the end of 2021. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has published guidance for obstetricians, midwives and neonatologists on the prevention of early-onset (less than seven days of age) neonatal Group B streptococcal disease and for the information to be provided to women, their partners and families. It has also produced an information leaflet for parents-to-be about GBS. Information on GBS is also included in the NHS Pregnancy Book which is given free to all first time pregnant women.

Sepsis

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to improve the accuracy of recording of cases of neonatal sepsis across England.

Mr Philip Dunne: Neonatal units record positive neonatal blood culture tests and these are recorded as part of the Neonatal Quality Dashboard. Outliers are identified and investigated as part of the quarterly monitoring systems of NHS England specialised commissioning hubs. The National Neonatal Audit Programme commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership includes reporting on the measuring of rates of infection on neonatal units and makes key recommendations for improvement. In April 2017, NHS Digital also published new guidance on coding for sepsis. The new coding guidance is expected to lead to improved reporting of all cases of sepsis.

Cancer

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish a cancer workforce strategy.

Steve Brine: Health Education England has been working closely with Macmillan Cancer and Cancer Research UK to produce a cancer workforce plan which it expects to publish by the end of the year.

Department of Health: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

Mr Philip Dunne: Within the Department, we are supporting the cross Civil Service health and wellbeing priorities to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of staff:- We have visible leadership for health and wellbeing;- We encourage an open dialogue on mental health;- We promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle;- We promote national wellbeing campaigns; and- We support people to stay at work and return to work.

Bubonic Plague: Madagascar

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the NHS is planning to take any steps in response to the outbreak of plague in Madagascar; and what assessment his Department has made of potential risks to public health in the UK related to that outbreak.

Steve Brine: At the start of the outbreak Public Health England undertook a comprehensive assessment of the risk to the United Kingdom, which it considered to be very low. The assessment was shared with the National Health Service who is monitoring the situation. The report is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/654174/Plague_in_Madagascar_Risk_Assessment.pdfThe UK Government deployed the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) to Madagascar in the early stages of the outbreak. The UK-PHRST provided expertise in epidemiological surveillance (case identification, contact tracing), organisation of case management, and infection prevention and control measures. The team have now returned as the outbreak has tailed off and the response has moved from acute outbreak to more steady state.

GP at Hand

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assistance his Department plans to give to users of the GP at Hand service who need to visit a GP face-to-face.

Steve Brine: GP at Hand is a practice that holds a standard General Medical Services (GMS) contract. The contract requires contract holders to specify the address of each of the premises to be used by the contractor or any sub-contractor for the provision of such services. As such, patients should be able to make an appointment for a face to face consultation.

GP at Hand

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of whether there is greater potential for misdiagnosis of patients using the GP at Hand service than there is in a face-to-face appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: Online or telephone consultations are used currently by many practices. However, patients should also be able to make an appointment for a face to face consultation with GP at Hand if they prefer.

GP at Hand

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of the GP at Hand service.

Steve Brine: GP at Hand is a practice that holds a standard General Medical Services (GMS) contract. As such, they will receive reimbursement on the same basis as other GMS practices based on the nationally negotiated Statement of Financial Entitlements.

Abortion

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will undertake an evidence-based review into the association with and effect of abortion on the psychological and mental health of women that draws on (a) UK and (b) international research; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to ensure that studies on abortion that are (a) funded and (b) supported by his Department do not omit women who are at higher risk of complications from abortion; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: A systematic review of induced abortion and mental health was published in 2011. The review was undertaken by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health and funded by the Department. The review concluded that having an abortion does not increase the risk of mental health problems. There are no plans to commission further work in this area.

Clinical Trials

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of not aligning with the forthcoming EU clinical trials regulation on patient access to clinical trials.

Steve Brine: My Rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear that a key priority through the negotiations will be to ensure that the United Kingdom remains one of the best places in the world for science and innovation. As part of exit negotiations the Government will discuss with the European Union and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of clinical trials. Regardless of the outcome of those negotiations the UK is committed to offering a competitive service for clinical trial assessment. In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Health Research Authority, ethics services, National Institute for Health Research and National Health Service have been working towards implementation of the new European Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR) since it was agreed in 2014. The application date of the CTR across the EU will be set by the European Commission. The current regulatory approval legislation will stay in place until such time as any changes are needed so there will be no interruption in UK clinical trials approval.

NHS: Standards

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the number of times the NHS Constitution has been breached in the last (a) week, (b) month and (c) year.

Mr Philip Dunne: This Government believes in the founding principles of the National Health Service that are enshrined in the NHS Constitution - that it should meet the needs of everyone, with care based on clinical need and free at the point of use. The rights and pledges set out in the Constitution underpin these principles. Whilst we do not collect information in the format requested, a variety of data relevant to the rights and pledges set out in the Constitution is published by the Department and its arm’s length bodies. Published statistics on NHS performance can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics?keywords=&topics%5B%5D=national-health-service&departments%5B%5D=all&from_date=&to_dateInformation can also be found in the Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STP) Progress Dashboard and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Improvement and Assessment Framework: STP Progress Dashboard:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/sustainability-and-transformation-partnerships-progress-dashboard-baseline-view/CCG Improvement and Assessment Framework:https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/ccg-assess/iaf/

Urgent Care Centres

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the future of Urgent Care Centres (a) in Northamptonshire and (b) across England.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Next Steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View set out our intention for the ‘roll-out of standardised new urgent treatment centres’. Urgent treatment centres are community and primary care facilities providing access to urgent treatment for a local population, and will build upon the current range of services such as Walk-in Centres, Urgent Care Centres and Minor Injury Units. Decisions on specific centres are made at a local level, in line with the Five Year Forward View.

Tomography: Leasing

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 3 November 2017 to Questions 110464 and 110465, on tomography: leasing, if he will take steps to collate this information centrally; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: There are no intentions to collect this information centrally. Decisions are made locally by National Health Service trusts surrounding use of tomography equipment to ensure demand and capacity is effectively managed.

Patients: Transport

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many pieces of correspondence his Department has received from (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the House of Lords, (c) external organisations and (d) members of the public relating to patient transport to and from NHS appointments.

Steve Brine: A search of the Department’s ministerial correspondence database has identified 98 items of correspondence received since 1 May 2017 about patient transport to and from National Health Service appointments. Of these, 84 were from hon. Members, none were from members of the House of Lords, one was from an external organisation and 13 were from members of the public. This figure represents correspondence received by the Department’s ministerial correspondence unit only.

Health Services: Prisons

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish the name of the commissioned provider for health services in each prison in England and Wales.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Since 2013, NHS England has been responsible for commissioning healthcare in all prisons in England. However, there are five prisons where primary healthcare services are commissioned by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). In these five prisons some secondary healthcare services, including substance misuse and mental health, are commissioned by NHS England. Local Health Boards are responsible for commissioning healthcare services in public sector prisons in Wales. NHS England and the MOJ have provided the information in the attached table, which lists the healthcare provider for each prison in England and Wales.



PQ113023 attached table
(Word Document, 23.23 KB)

Patients: Transport

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on the effect of decreases to (a) bus routes and (b) the frequency of bus services on the ability of older people to access NHS appointments.

Steve Brine: There are no formal plans for a meeting between my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Transport to discuss the effect of decreases to bus routes and the frequency of bus services on the ability of older people to access National Health Service appointments. However, the Secretary of State for Health would be open to considering such a meeting in future.

Mental Health Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent evaluation he has conducted of secondary care psychological therapy services in the NHS.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department or NHS England has undertaken an evaluation of the six demonstration sites providing IAPT services for people with severe mental illness; and whether he plans to implement the service nationally.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England has undertaken evaluations of the six demonstrator sites providing Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services for people with severe mental illness, and in 2015 jointly with the McPin Foundation published an evaluation of the service user experience of those who had been treated in the demonstrator sites. The report is available at the following link: http://mcpin.org/a-service-user-evaluation-of-iapt-for-people-with-a-severe-mental-illness/As recommended in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, NHS England has committed to increase access to psychological therapies for people with severe mental illnesses – namely psychosis, bipolar disorder and personality disorders. NHS England has commissioned the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence and the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health to develop a pathway for community mental health services beginning in 2017/18, which will map the care and treatment that should be commissioned and delivered across primary and secondary care. This includes a specific focus on increasing access to psychological therapies for people with severe mental illnesses under the care of secondary care community mental health services. In addition, NHS England has also commissioned the NHS Benchmarking Network to undertake a stocktake of community mental health services in 2017/18, including a stocktake of the capacity within community mental health teams to deliver psychological therapies for people with severe mental illness.

Health Services: Staffordshire

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Accountable Officer for Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group, (b) Stoke-on-Trent City Council, (c) Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership Trust and (d) University Hospital of the North Midlands Trust on the Care Quality Commission review of local health and the social care system.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Following the budget announcement of additional funding for adult social care in the March 2017, the Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government asked the Care Quality Commission to undertake a programme of targeted system reviews in 20 local authority areas. One of these was Stoke-on-Trent. As part of the review of Stoke-on-Trent, the Care Quality Commission Review Team interviews included discussions with the Accountable Officer for Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group, the City Director of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the Chief Executive Officer of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership NHS Trust, and the Chief Executive Officer and senior managers at the University Hospital of the North Midlands NHS Trust. The Department’s Deputy Director of Social Care System Oversight attended the Stoke-on-Trent area summit held on 9 November.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions (a) he and (b) NHS England have had with the University Hospital of North Midlands on the permanent appointment of a Trust chair.

Mr Philip Dunne: There have been no discussions between the Secretary of State for Health or NHS England and the University of North Midlands NHS Trust on the permanent appointment of a Trust Chair.

Health Services

Sir Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans the Government has to develop a national strategy for self care.

Steve Brine: The Five Year Forward View made a specific commitment to do more to support people with long term conditions manage their own health. Further to this, sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) have a remit to consider how to improve self-care. In 2015 NHS England established the Realising the Value Programme. This was designed to identify evidence-based approaches that engage people in their own health and care and develop practical tools to support implementation. The programme has now published tools and guidance for local health economies, as well as an economic modelling tool to help services understand the costs and benefits. NHS England is also rolling out the Patient Activation Measure (PAM). The PAM is a tool which captures the extent to which people feel engaged and confident in taking care of their health and wellbeing, helping professionals to tailor support. NHS England has agreed to grant 1.8 million people with long term conditions across 27 areas access to the tool. Eight STP areas to take part in its new one year Building Health Partnerships programme supported by NHS England to facilitate strong engagement with the voluntary sector and local communities on actions that improve wellbeing and self-care. NHS England is also working with 15 new care models across the country to test how to deliver support for self-care, systematically and at scale. By working with the new care models, NHS England plans to offer tailored self-care support to 25,000 – 30,000 people by end of March 2018, delivered through health coaching/self-management education and social prescribing, supported by use of the PAM.

Ambulance Services

Sir Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many ambulance call outs were for type 3 conditions in (a) England and (b) each clinical commissioning group in each year since 2012.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not held centrally.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) the Accountable Officer for the Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group on the waiving of fines for the University Hospital of North Midlands Trust's failure to meet targets in the payment by results contract.

Mr Philip Dunne: Any decision to waive fines would be a decision for NHS England. The Department understands that NHS England and Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group have not agreed to this and currently the standard National Health Service contract terms apply.

Mental Health Services: Out of Area Treatment

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients seeking mental health treatment were sent out of area for treatment in each trust in England in each year since 2010.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information is not fully held as only interim data is available. Information for 17 October 2016 – 31 August 2017 is available at:https://www.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB30114

NHS: Staff

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the evidential source is for the number given for the increases of NHS staff and in people being treated in his tweet in response to Ralf Little on 8 November 2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: As set out in my response to the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (David Morris) on 26 October 2017 to Question 109144, there has been an increase of 4,295 National Health Service staff working in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities trusts between July 2013 and July 2017. This data is obtained from NHS Digital Monthly Hospital and Community Health service workforce statistics which is available at: www.digital.nhs.uk/media/32981/NHS-Workforce-Statistics-July-2017-Provisional-Statistics-CSV-tables/default/NHS_Workforce_Statistics_-_July_2017__csv_filesThe figure of 2,700 more employed in talking therapies has been sourced from the IAPT Workforce census from 2015, 2014 and 2012. The figure of 1,400 more people treated every day since 2010 is sourced from The Mental Health Bulletin: 2015-16 Annual report, National Reference tables. The data shows that there has been an increase of 1,396.19 people treated per day between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

Patients: Transport

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 110811, on patient transport, whether any meetings held in the last three years between the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Transport discussed the effect of decreases to (a) bus routes and (b) the frequency of bus services on the ability of older people to access NHS appointments.

Steve Brine: The Secretary of State for Health’s conversations with the Secretary of State for Transport cover a wide range of issues. However, the Department of Health searched for and found no record of meetings held in the last three years between the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Transport regarding the effect of decreases to bus routes and the frequency of bus services on the ability of older people to access NHS appointments.

Patients: Transport

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 110811, what discussions (a) Ministers or (b) officials in his Department have held with (i) Ministers or (ii) officials in the Department for Transport on the effect of decreases to (A) bus routes and (B) the frequency of bus services on the ability of older people to access NHS appointments.

Steve Brine: Ministers and officials at the Department of Health and the Department for Transport have conversations covering a wide range of issues. However, the Department of Health searched for and found no record of discussions between Ministers or officials regarding the effect of decreases to bus routes and the frequency of bus services on the ability of older people to access National Health Service appointments.

Mental Health Services: Staff

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his comments on the Andrew Marr BBC television programme on 29 October 2017, how many of the 4,000 more staff working in mental health trusts than there were seven years ago (a) are new members of staff and (b) previously worked for a primary care trust and transferred to a mental health trust after the NHS reorganisation of 2013.

Jackie Doyle-Price: It is not possible to identify how many of the 4,300 more mental health staff working in mental health trusts are new members of staff or previously worked for a primary care trust and transferred to a mental health trust after the National Health Service reorganisation of 2013.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his comments on the Andrew Marr BBC television programme on 29 October 2017, what specific mental health conditions are being treated among the 1,400 more people being treated each day.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information is not available in the format requested.

Mental Health Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, what progress has been made on the development and publication of a comprehensive set of mental health care pathways; and what steps he is taking to ensure that such pathways include clear access and waiting time standards, quality standards, workforce requirements, and guidance for commissioners.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will provide an updated timetable for the publication and delivery of mental health pathways as set out in page 36 of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons publication of mental health pathways for Crisis Care, Perinatal mental health, Children and young people's mental health, and Acute mental health care has been delayed; and when he expects those pathways will be published.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Significant progress has been made in relation to the development of a comprehensive set of mental health care pathways, including the publication to date of pathways for early intervention in psychosis, community services for eating disorders in children and young people and urgent and emergency mental health liaison. The pathways are intended to provide clear guidance to both commissioners and providers in relation to the commissioning and implementation of services to improve access and outcomes for people with mental health problems, and contain a set of quality benchmarks against which local systems can understand their progress in implementing them. The introduction of new access and waiting time standards would only be made in areas where it was clear that the funding and workforce were in place to support this. An updated timetable for the publication and delivery of the mental health pathways was provided within ‘Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health’. The pathways for crisis care, perinatal mental health, children and young people's mental health, and acute mental health care have been developed in draft and will be published in due course. Whilst much of the content has been finalised, it is still being reviewed to ensure that it is in line with the wider Five Year Forward View strategy and that it provides the most helpful guidance to both commissioners and providers within the current context.

Dental Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 111157, on dental services, what assessment he has made of the satisfaction rates of low-income citizens for dental healthcare services in 2017.

Steve Brine: NHS England does not collect satisfaction data differentiated by income, however the overall satisfaction rating for National Health Service dentistry is high with the vast majority of NHS patients surveyed indicating that they are satisfied with the service. The GP Patient Survey, contains questions about satisfaction with NHS dentistry but does not ask about respondents income. The latest GP Patient Survey published in July showed that overall 85% of respondents had a positive experience of NHS dentistry. NHS Digital has published an analysis of the GP Patient Survey information that breaks the responses down by deciles of deprivation. This is not strictly the same as low-income, and is using average deprivation across a geographic area as a proxy for the deprivation of respondents. The attached document includes a table showing the percentage of people reporting a very good or fairly good experience of NHS Dental Services by 2015 deprivation decile for the period January 2017 to March 2017.



PQ113126 attached doc.
(Word Document, 53.86 KB)

Pancreatic Cancer: Research

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his assessment is of the adequacy of the level of research spend on pancreatic cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department funds research into all aspects of human health, including cancer, through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at the level of £1 billion per year. NIHR cancer research expenditure has risen from £101 million in 2010/11 to £137 million in 2016/17. This is the largest NIHR spend in a disease area. The Department does not routinely collect levels of NIHR research expenditure on specific tumours such as pancreatic cancer. As with other Government funders of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas. The level of research spend in a particular area, such as pancreatic cancer, is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications. Nineteen major funders of cancer research in the United Kingdom work together as the ‘National Cancer Research Institute’ (NCRI). These funders include the Department, the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, and Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund. Through coordinating their research, NCRI partners aim to maximise the impact of research for cancer patients and the public.

Pancreatic Cancer: Mortality Rates

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for variation in mortality rates for pancreatic cancer in each clinical commissioning group area.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the variation in (a) incidence and (b) mortality rates in pancreatic cancer between clinical commissioning group areas.

Steve Brine: Responsibility for improving outcomes for people with cancer is a shared responsibility between the Department, Public Health England and NHS England, working in partnership with local authorities, strategic clinical networks and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). NHS services for pancreatic cancer have been significantly improved across all CCGs in recent years. This includes clearer diagnostic pathways; decision making by specialist multi-disciplinary teams; and the centralisation of pancreas surgery within specialist teams. Further improvements in the care for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer include early surgery, avoidance of preoperative biliary stenting where possible and increasing the proportion of patients who receive chemotherapy. In addition, NHS England has published a service specification for pancreatic cancer which clearly defines what it expects to be in place for providers to offer evidence-based, safe and effective pancreatic cancer services, wherever they are located. This service specification has been developed by specialised clinicians, commissioners, expert patients and public health representatives to describe core and developmental service standards.

Patients: Transport

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 110811, how many times he has met the Secretary of State for Transport since 8 June 2017.

Steve Brine: The Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Transport have many conversations covering a wide-range of issues. The Department has found no record of one-to-one meetings since 8 June 2017.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has established a target date for all schools to have a single point of contact with NHS CAMHS.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The forthcoming joint Department of Health and Department for Education Children and Young People's Mental Health Green Paper will contain further details on this commitment.

Out of Area Treatment: Children

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's definition is of an inappropriate out-of-area placement for children; and what plans he has to eliminate the practice of such placements by 2021.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department is committed to ensuring children and young people with mental health conditions can receive treatment as close as possible to where they live. An out of area placement for children and young people was defined in 2014 by NHS England in its Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Tier 4 Report as: “Admissions deemed to be placements where young people are harmed by the distance and disconnection from local services, family and friends”. It is inappropriate when patients are placed out of area for the reason of non-availability of a local bed. The Government is committed to end inappropriate out of area placement for children and young people by 2020/21. On 31 March 2017, NHS England announced the next steps to ensure children and young people do not have to travel far from home for mental health care. As well as funding between 150 and 180 new beds, we are increasing the availability of services in the community to ensure the right beds are in the right place. This includes a program of work to improve timely treatments in the community for those needing urgent or emergency assessment as well as the development and recruitment for community eating disorder services. Source: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Tier 4 Report, NHS England, 2014. https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/camhs-tier-4-rep.pdf

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of whether there is a causal link between the number of inpatient beds decreasing and increases in the number of detentions under the Mental Health Act 1983 in the last 10 years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Care Quality Commission has recently undertaken a study examining the causes of changing rates of detention, under the Mental Health Act (1983) and are due to publish their findings by the end of the year. The Government has also commissioned an independent review of the Mental Health Act, chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, which will report by autumn 2018.

Dental Services

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if fewer or more claimants of universal credit will be eligible for free dental care than were under the legacy benefits systems.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if fewer or more claimants of universal credit will be eligible for free prescriptions then were under the legacy benefits systems.

Steve Brine: The Department’s aim is to broadly align entitlement to help with health costs (including free National Health Service prescriptions and free NHS dental treatment) for Universal Credit recipients with those in place for the relevant legacy benefits. This is achieved by passporting Universal Credit recipients to free help with health costs where their income falls below a given earnings threshold.

Surgical Mesh Implants

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to audit the use of surgical mesh for (a) pelvic organ prolapse and (b) stress urinary incontinence; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: There has been extensive work completed by the NHS England Mesh Working Group to investigate the concerns raised in relation to surgical meshes which included exploring if a one-off information gathering exercise on patient outcomes should be conducted. They concluded that this would not be the best allocation of resources to respond to this issue. Following further discussion with the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Health (Lord O’Shaughnessy) and members of the Surgical Mesh All Party Parliamentary Group on 14 November, NHS England and the Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency are looking again at this issue and will advise ministers accordingly.

Surgical Mesh Implants

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse would be of an inquiry into the use of surgical mesh.

Jackie Doyle-Price: It would not be possible to estimate the cost of any inquiry until the form of such an inquiry and its terms of reference were to be established.

Surgical Mesh Implants

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to allocate funding to provide compensation to people affected by injuries caused by surgical mesh; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We recognise that a small but significant number of people have suffered from some very severe complications as a result of procedures using surgical mesh. Surgical procedures using mesh devices have provided an effective form of treatment in many cases it can be far less invasive than alternative surgical procedures and, unfortunately, there are risks associated with most medical interventions. Compensation is normally provided on the basis of clinical negligence. There are no plans to allocate funding for further compensation.

General Practitioners

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many bids his Department received in connection with the operation of general practice at the Hightown and Freshfield surgeries.

Steve Brine: The provision of primary medical services is the responsibility of NHS England. Where a contract for services by a general practitioner practice is ended, NHS England will look at the provision of services in that area and decide whether to enter into a contract with another provider or to allocate patients to other practices in the area. NHS England Cheshire and Mersey are unable to release any information while the procurement process is underway.

Nurses: Training

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received form (a) medical professionals and (b) patients on the reintroduction of nursing bursaries.

Mr Philip Dunne: A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database between 1 May 2017 and 16 November 2017 has identified that 62 items of correspondence were received about the nursing bursaries in general. We are not able to identify how many of these were specifically about the reintroduction of nursing bursaries. This figure represents correspondence received by the Department’s Ministerial correspondence unit only. Between 1 May 2017 and 16 November 2017 my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has not had any specific meetings with medical professionals or patients on this topic.

Skipton Fund

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what eligibility criteria the Skipton Fund operates for people infected with HIV or Hepatitis C as a result of receiving anti-d immunoglobin; and what the grounds are for that eligibility criteria.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Skipton Fund was responsible for administering a scheme that made payments to people infected with hepatitis C through treatment with National Health Service blood or blood products and their families. Therefore this fund was open to applications from anyone infected with hepatitis C as a result of receiving anti-d immunoglobin injections. This eligibility continues under the new England Infected Blood Support Scheme.

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage CCGs to prioritise tackling anti-microbial resistance in the work of their sustainability and transformation plans.

Steve Brine: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are required to decide on the most appropriate approach to local prioritisation, and may wish to develop a joint plan with others in their Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) in doing so. All CCGs and STPs are required to meet constitutional standards and targets that are set at a national level; including any concerning anti-microbial resistance. NHS England has published a series of ‘Quick Guides’ for STPs, one of which focuses on safety and links into anti-microbial resistance. Each guide sets out what success in 2020 would look like and provides guidance about how areas could approach implementation. These guides can be found here:https://www.england.nhs.uk/stps/resources/

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of deaths by antimicrobial resistance in England in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: A commonly quoted estimate for the number of deaths caused by an antimicrobial resistant (AMR) infection is 5,000 deaths in England each year. The estimate is also consistent with the Final Report and Recommendations from The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, chaired by Jim O’Neill. The Review estimated the annual number of deaths caused by AMR infections worldwide to be of the order of 700,000. The report is available at:https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/160525_Final%20paper_with%20cover.pdf

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Manufacturing Industries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2017 to Question 110714, on the Manufacturing Technologies Association, what representations he has received from the Manufacturing Technologies Association on support for manufacturing businesses after the UK leaves the EU.

Claire Perry: The Manufacturing Technology Association (MTA) has made regular representations to the Department on a range of issues of importance to the sector, including the implications of EU exit for MTA member companies. As we continue to engage with MTA and industry more widely, we remain committed to making the UK the best place in Europe to own and grow a business after the UK leaves the EU. That includes supporting those businesses that trade with the EU and wider international markets, as well as continuing to encourage record foreign direct investment that supports business and communities up and down the country.

Energy: Waste

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of levels of energy obtained from waste plants on the achievement of carbon reduction targets.

Claire Perry: BEIS' Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2017 (DUKES) indicates that the installed electricity generation capacity of energy from waste plants was over 1,000MW at the end of 2016. Our recently published Clean Growth Strategy made clear that the waste sector as a whole has become an important contributor to electricity generation while also delivering significant emission reductions.

Incinerators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the levels of emissions of greenhouse gases from incinerator plants; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The latest GHG emissions inventory, published in February 2017, estimates that emissions from incineration plants were 3.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2015.

Fireworks: Sales

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of existing legislation regulating the sale of fireworks.

Margot James: The Government takes the safety of fireworks very seriously. Regulations are currently in place which control the sale of fireworks to both consumers and professional display operators. Experience has shown that the current regulations strike the right balance between the enjoyment of fireworks by the public and restricting the sale and use of fireworks for public safety reasons. Certain dangerous items are already banned for sale in the UK. These include bangers and jumping jacks, among others. Such items are prohibited regardless of whether they are approved for sale in other EU countries. This removes from sale higher risk fireworks which could lead to injury. We will continue to focus on reducing accidents and nuisance by encouraging industry, retailers and others to promote the responsible sale and use of fireworks through guidance and public education.

Customs

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has made an assessment of the effect of the UK's withdrawal from the EU on the cost of EU allowances.

Claire Perry: The Government is considering all options for the UK’s future participation, or otherwise, in the EU Emissions Trading System after our exit from the EU. The effect on the cost of EU allowances will depend on the nature of the UK’s future relationship with the System and will be taken into account as part of this consideration.

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the UK plans to seek formal co-operation with the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions after the UK has left the EU.

Margot James: No decisions have yet been made on our future relationship with the EU's agencies and bodies after leaving the EU. We are seeking a deep and special partnership with the European Union. Our relationship with the European Union's agencies and bodies, including the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, upon exit will be evaluated on this basis.

Energy Intensive Industries

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of moving to a Smart Grid on energy-intensive industries; and what discussions he has had with representatives of such industries.

Richard Harrington: The Government published the joint BEIS/Ofgem Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan in 2017. The Plan outlines a series of actions to support the transition to a smart energy system which could save the UK an estimated £17 to £40 billion up to 2050. Some actions can benefit all consumers, including energy intensive industries. Particular measures in the Plan that could benefit these industries are improving access to the capacity market and changing the licensing regime around battery storage. Additionally, Government continues to fully support National Grid’s Power Responsive initiative to increase the opportunities for industrial consumers to participate in demand side response.BEIS Ministers and officials have regular discussions with representative of energy intensive industries on a range of energy-related issues, including smart grids.

Retail Trade: Insolvency

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to respond to the report of the Law Commission, Consumer Prepayments on Retailer Insolvency, HC 543, published on 13 July 2016.

Margot James: The Government welcomes the work and recommendations of the Law Commission which it has carried out in regards to consumer prepayments on retailer insolvency.The Government has been in discussions with the Law Commission on this important issue and is considering its response.

Private Rented Housing: Energy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to paragraph two of page 77 of the Clean Growth Strategy, when the consultation on making the private rented sector energy efficiency regulations more effective will open.

Claire Perry: As set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, the Government intends to consult shortly on options to strengthen the domestic private rented sector minimum energy efficiency standard regulations.

Business: ICT

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111391, on business: ICT, what recent representations he has received from business organisations on ensuring that the Government's digital transformation programmes are affordable for (a) small and medium-sized enterprises, (b) micro businesses and (c) charities.

Claire Perry: Government’s strategy concerning digital transformation - the Government Transformation Strategy - sets out the strategy for transforming government to make it meet the expectations and needs of users, including those of small and medium-sized enterprises, micro businesses and charities. Government carries out user research with relevant stakeholders in the development of major services to ensure they meet user needs and capabilities. This will include small and medium-sized enterprises, micro businesses and charities when they are users of the service.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has now chaired two meetings of the Digital Economy Council, which brings together leaders from the tech sector with government. Access to finance is one of the areas of discussion. The Council will drive progress on the Digital Strategy, such as stimulating growth and delivering new jobs in the digital economy.My hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Digital will be chairing his second Digital Economy Advisory Group at the end of the year. The Advisory Group specifically focusses on supporting the tech sectors and helping innovation. Both groups will focus on the implementation of the Digital Strategy, along with feeding in to the development of the Digital Charter.Both of the above groups are concerned with access to finance for businesses of all sizes and across sectors. Membership of these groups includes: TechUK, Google, BT, Raspberry Pi and Entrepreneur First. Full membership details can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/groups/digital-economy-council-and-digital-economy-advisory-groupMy right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, in a Written Ministerial Statement on 13 July 2017, announced changes to the scope and pace of Making Tax Digital for Business in response to representations received from a range of businesses. These changes mean that use of the Making Tax Digital system will be optional for businesses below the VAT threshold.

Business: North West

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111294, on manufacturing industries: North West, what meetings he has had with the North West Business Leadership Team and other organisations which represent businesses in the North West in the last three years.

Margot James: Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on the Gov.UK website:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy&publication_type=transparency-dataInformation for July – September 2017 will be published in due course.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 112160, on the Royal Bank of Scotland, whether that Answer refers to (a) the Financial Conduct Authority's investigation which has already concluded or (b) the second Financial Conduct Authority investigation which has yet to report its findings.

Margot James: The answer refers to the ongoing investigation which has yet to report. The Hon. Member may wish to refer to the Financial Conduct Authority's update published on 23 October 2017 which includes the statement “We are investigating the matters arising from the Skilled Person’s Report and are focussing on whether there is any basis for further action within our powers.”

Vauxhall Motors: Employment

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111293, on Vauxhall Motors: employment, what recent representations he has received from (a) business organisations and (b) trade unions on safeguarding jobs at the Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port.

Claire Perry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State spoke with PSA and the UNITE Union prior to the announcement of the Ellesmere Port decision and will be engaging with them again during the consultation period, and I have also spoken with the Local Enterprise Partnership. Furthermore, through our Industrial Strategy, Ministers will continue to work closely with businesses across the country. Government is working hard to secure the necessary investment to ensure that the automotive sector continues to thrive.

Small Businesses: Advisory Services

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111346, on small businesses: advisory services, what recent representations he has received from business organisations on the adequacy of the availability of mentoring services to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Margot James: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly engages with the major business representative organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Chambers of Commerce, on a wide range of issues. Many business organisations such as these do provide their own mentoring services across the country, and they are seen as an important tool for businesses.We are working to support businesses and entrepreneurs across the UK to ensure they can access the wider support to grow and have the right conditions for companies to invest long-term. Alongside mentoring services such as Mentorsme, a number of the 38 Growth Hubs have established their own mentoring programmes making it easier for start-ups and existing businesses to access the support they need.

Microgeneration: Finance

Mr Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the amount of the financial reserves held under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme; and what plans he has for the use of those reserves.

Claire Perry: The latest verified accounts for the MCS Service Company are published on the Companies House website. This states that as of 29 February 2016 there was £6,794,171 held in the account on behalf of the Secretary of State (of the Department for Energy and Climate Change; now the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy). At that time there was also £1,895,623 held in Escrow.The MCS Service Company has the right to use funds drawn from the account in relation to the day to day activities of the Company. Negotiations are currently taking place for the Scheme to be transferred to the MCS Charitable Foundation, at which point the reserves will be the responsibility of the MCS Charitable Foundation.

Construction: Billing

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2017 to Question 111704, what representations he has received from business organisations on the extent of delay in payment to SMEs in the construction sector.

Margot James: Unjustified late and non-payment of any amount owed is unacceptable. These practices cause particular problems for small businesses and have been raised by the construction sector. The Government is committed to tacking them, and has introduced measures such as the Prompt Payment Code to improve payment practices across the public and private sector. The Government has also launched two consultations on payment practices within the construction sector.

Ministry of Defence

United Arab Emirates: Armed Forces

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2017 to Question 109061, what the function is of each of the armed forces stationed in the United Arab Emirates.

Mark Lancaster: The precise details of the UK military laydown within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is protected by a non-disclosure agreement with the host nation. This is an extant condition of the orignal arrangement for our presence in the UAE, due to operational sensitivities at the time.However, we can confirm there are three personnel based in the British Embassy Defence Section conducting defence engagement activities.All other UK military personnel in the UAE are fulfilling roles which support operations and regional security, the detail of which is not publically releasable.

Ministry of Defence: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Department's publication MOD's ministerial hospitality, April to June 2017, whether (a) representatives or employees of the firm which offered that hospitality and (b) lobbyists or contractors of those firms were present at events for which that hospitality was offered.

Harriett Baldwin: For the period in question, the following hospitality was recorded:The Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon MP, attended the Army v Navy rugby match on 29 April 2017 at the invitation of Babcock; he met the CEO of Babcock, Archie Bethel, and John Spencer, the President of the RFU.The Rt Hon Earl Howe, had lunch with the UK Defence Attache and dinner with the UK Ambassador during his visit to Vietnam on 19 April 2017; dinner with the UK Ambassador to Japan on 21 April 2017 and dinner with the UK Defence Attache and UK Ambassador to the Republic of Korea on 23rd and 24 April respectively; these engagements were all with Government officials.The Rt Hon Mike Penning MP, attended the Army v Navy rugby match on 29 April 2017 at the invitation of Babcock; it is known that the CEO of Babcock, Archie Bethel, was present.Harriett Baldwin MP, had dinner with science and engineering employees of BAE Systems on 5 April 2017 and lunch at the invitation of Thales at the Paris Air Show on 19 June 2017. Employees of both firms were present on both occasions.

HMS Ocean

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has discussed with the Secretary of State for International Development the continued in-service use of HMS Ocean as a disaster relief vessel.

Mark Lancaster: HMS OCEAN is primarily a landing platform for Helicopters. Its use for disaster relief in the Caribbean was intended to supplement the capability of RFA MOUNTS BAY, which was prepositioned in the Caribbean for hurricane season and is better suited to Humanitarian and Disaster Relief operations and responded to the situation in Anguilla less than 24 hours after Hurricane Irma struck. Plans for the use of Defence assets for future disaster relief operations remain under constant reviews across Government. Any decisions to adjust plans will be informed by the cross-Government lessons learned process from the UK's immediate response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, as well as the ongoing National Security Capability Review.

Ministry of Defence: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Department's Defence People Health and Wellbeing Strategy (DPHWS) (2016-2021), which focuses on Lifestyles, Injury Prevention, Preventative Health and Mental Health, aims to ensure that all Defence people enjoy a state of positive physical and mental health and wellbeing, feeling connected with, and supported by, the military and wider community.Additionally, the Defence People Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (DPMHWS), launched in July 2017, identified the need for strong partnerships with the Department of Health, the National Health Service (NHS) in England and the Devolved Administrations as well as the charitable sector, and for a new operating model focusing on Promote, Prevent, Treat and Detect. It will be taken forward by the forthcoming Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Action Plan.

Armed Forces: Officers

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many senior officers from the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF have been assigned to duties within or seconded to HM Treasury in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the functions and roles are that are performed by senior military officers assigned or seconded to HM Treasury.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many meetings there were between senior officers from (a) Navy, (b) Army and (c) Air Command and officials of HM Treasury in each of the last 12 months.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many meetings there were between senior officers from (a) Navy, (b) Army and (c) Air Command and officials of HM Treasury in each of the last five years.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many senior armed forces officers from the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF are assigned to duties within or seconded to HM Treasury.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Currently, and over the last 10 years, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has seconded one Military Advisor of OF 5 rank (Captain (Royal Navy), Colonel, Group Captain) to HM Treasury on a two to three year rotational basis. The Officer is embedded within the Defence Spending Team and is responsible for providing military advice and acting as an interlocutor between HM Treasury and the MOD.

Armed Forces: Bereavement Counselling

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place a copy of the (a) charter, (b) written directions, (c) standard operating procedures for armed forces bereavement and aftercare support staff in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Policy covering the single Services' management and administration of casualty and compassionate cases is contained within Joint Service Publication 751 which can be found at the following address:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/joint-service-publication-jspIn addition, in conjunction with the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, a 'Purple Pack' has been produced. This publication signposts and highlights various avenues of assistance available to families and friends in need. It is produced in electronic format, but hard copies can be printed should a family so wish. It can be found at the following address:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/purple-pack-bereavement-guide-for-families-of-service-personnel

Ministry of Defence: Hunting

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many live quarry have been killed during a trial hunt on Ministry of Defence land in each of the last five years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The number of live quarry killed during trail or drag hunting on Ministry of Defence land in the past five years is shown below:  YearNumber of Live Kills recorded2012-201312013-201402014-201502015-201602016-20170

Ministry of Defence: Hunting

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many licences for trail hunts have been issued for Ministry of Defence land in each of the last five years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The information requested is not held in the format requested.

Navy: Apprentices

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many apprenticeships the Royal Navy provides; and in which sectors.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Royal Navy provides six apprenticeships in:Business Administration and Law;Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies;Health, Public Service and Care;Information and Communication Technology;Leisure, Travel and Tourism;Retail and Commercial Enterprise.

Army: Apprentices

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many apprenticeships the British Army provides and in which sectors.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Army is Britain's biggest provider of apprenticeships, offering not just a job, but a career with ongoing training. It currently runs 43 apprenticeship programmes, across seven sectors:Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies;Retail and Commercial Enterprise;Health, Public Services and Care;Information and Communication Technology;Business, Administration and Law;Construction, Planning and the Built Environment;Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care.

Air Force: Apprentices

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many apprenticeships the Royal Air Force provides and in which sectors.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Royal Air Force currently has approximately 2800 individuals undertaking apprenticeships on 16 different programmes in:Engineering Manufacture (Operator and Semi-Skilled);Catering And Professional Chefs;Hospitality;Warehousing and Storage;HM Forces;Providing Security Services;Aviation Operations OnThe Ground;Driving Goods Vehicles;Engineering Manufacture (Craft and Technician);Information Technology, Software, Web and Telecoms Professionals;Aviation Operations On The Ground;Information Technology Application Specialist;Photo Imaging;Business Administration;Health (Clinical Healthcare Support);Intelligence Operations.

Armed Forces: Universities

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department plans to increase engagement with universities where no single service unit exists.

Mark Lancaster: The Royal Navy regularly reviews its structure to ensure that the Service is optimised to face the demands of the 21st century, while being appropriately balanced to achieve operational requirements, and therefore continues to consider the need to establish new University Royal Navy Units when it is able. More widely, the Royal Navy also has an on-going engagement plan with UK Universities by the Captain of Naval Recruitment organisation with initiatives such as the Undergraduate Leadership Programme which can provide the opportunity for undergraduates to apply for a six-week placement with the Royal Navy. This forms part of a wider recruitment engagement which aims to increase awareness of the role of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in support of British interests. The Army has a total of 15 University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) and two Officer Training Regiments (OTRs), which, although geographically named, cover a number of affiliated universities located across the whole UK. All UOTCs and OTRs welcome enquiries from individuals from any university. Additionally, wider engagement is conducted within universities, by mutual agreement, by the Army’s specialist engagement teams.  The Royal Air Force currently has 15 University Air Squadrons (UAS) which incorporate a number of affiliated universities located across a wide catchment area in the UK to ensure maximum visibility and coverage. The RAF welcomes enquiries from individuals or universities wishing to join their local UAS. Additionally, the Royal Air Force is engaged in ongoing focussed engineering recruitment with 37 universities throughout the country to increase awareness of the available opportunities. The four Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme Squadrons are geographically dispersed (Newcastle, Loughborough, Birmingham and Southampton) and partnerships extend to seven further universities.

Kenya: Military Exercises

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that defence training can continue in Kenya in the event that troops are unable to use his Department's preferred sites in the Laikipia region of Northern Kenya.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: At the request of the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF), British Army Training Unit Kenya's training has been relocated from Laikipia to the KDF's Archer's Post Training Area. The last two ASKARI STORM exercises have been conducted there, as is the current 3 PARA exercise.When the Kenyan election process is complete, we will discuss with the Kenyan Government the location of future training.

RAF Northolt

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 26 April 2017 to Question 71589, on RAF Northolt, whether planned works to resurface the runway at RAF Northolt have been delayed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The planned works to resurface the runway at RAF Northolt have not been delayed.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Department for Communities and Local Government: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

Mr Marcus Jones: My Department is committed to the health and wellbeing of all its staff. The Civil Service has set out five priorities for the health and wellbeing - both physical and mental - of its employees and has committed to being a leading employer on mental health support, in line with the recommendations set out in the recently published independent review, Thriving At Work.My Department is committed to meeting all the appropriate standards in the Thriving at Work report. As part of that commitment we will benchmark how the support we offer to employees compares to the recommendations set out in the review and will take additional action if and as required.One of the key priorities in my Department's People Plan is Inclusion and Wellbeing. We published a comprehensive Health and Wellbeing Plan in July 2017, which sets out a series of measures and actions to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of our staff, e.g. the development of a mental health toolkit for line managers.In addition we actively promote the specialist services of our Employee Assistance Programme, the Occupational Health Service and the Civil Service Workplace Adjustment Team to ensure our employees are supported appropriately in the workplace. Over 150 DCLG staff have received Mental Health First Aider training and over 50 of them have gone on to become volunteer Mental Health Ambassadors, providing a confidential listening and advice service. The Department also operates a Mental Health Support Group and offers a number of health and well being training events to improve awareness and understanding, such as Building Resilience.My Department is also taking part in Mind's Workplace Wellbeing Index which will help us identify where we are doing well and when we could improve. We intend to use the outcome of our benchmarking activity, against the recommendations in the Thriving at Work report, to further develop our action plans and help us to build on our existing good practice.

High Rise Flats: Fire Extinguishers

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of retrofitting sprinkler systems to residential tower blocks.

Alok Sharma: The cost of retrofitting sprinklers will depend on the individual characteristics of a building.

Owner Occupation

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support home ownership among people with poor or no credit history.

Alok Sharma: The availability and pricing of mortgages is ultimately a decision for lenders, and the Government does not seek to directly intervene in these.First time buyers can benefit from a tax-free Government bonus of up to £3,000 if they save with a Help to Buy:ISA. The bonus will represent 25 per cent of the amount saved, up to a maximum of £3,000 on £12,000 of savings. The bonus will be calculated and paid when you buy your first home, available on homes up to £250,000, or £450,000 in London.In addition, the Government is supportive of efforts to help borrowers access credit, including mortgages. The Government will introduce new Open Banking standards from January 2018, allowing consumers to share data directly from their payment accounts in a secure way. This will enable quicker and more accurate credit reporting, allowing lenders to take other factors into account when assessing a borrower's creditworthiness, such as a history of meeting rent payments on time.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to implement a policy to encourage or mandate the retro-fitting of sprinklers into high-rise buildings; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: The decision on whether to install sprinklers is a decision for each building owner, to be taken in conjunction with professional advice from appropriate experts about their particular building. Building owners are responsible for funding fire safety measures.In 2013, the Department for Communities and Local Government wrote to all local authorities and housing associations, asking them to consider a coroner’s report recommendation that they should consider retro-fitting sprinklers in existing high-rise residential buildings.The Government will give further consideration to various issues in light of the findings of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.

Housing: Construction

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to prevent land banking in local communities.

Alok Sharma: It is important that once a planning permission for new homes is in place, work to deliver those homes should begin as soon as possible. The Government wants to see homes built faster and expects house builders to deliver more homes, more quickly and to a high quality standard.However, it is important to recognise that after planning permission for new homes is granted, a variety of factors can slow down delivery. Rather than focusing on a single issue, the Housing White Paper acknowledged that all parties in the development process need to play their part in speeding up the delivery of much-needed new homes. That is why the Housing White Paper set out a wide ranging approach to driving up build out of planning permissions.We have already taken important steps to help unblock sites, such as the introduction of the Housing Infrastructure Fund and we are considering how to take forward other elements of the Housing White Paper. In addition, we have recently consulted on what further action could be taken to increase build rates as part of our consultation on calculating local housing need. This consultation closed on 9 November and analysis of the responses is now underway.

Private Rented Housing: Homelessness

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 110466, on private rented housing: homelessness, what the timetable is for the conclusion and publication of his consideration of the effectiveness of existing projects.

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 110466, on private rented housing: homelessness, which projects are included in his consideration of the effectiveness of existing projects.

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 110466, on private rented housing: homelessness, in what way he is considering the effectiveness of existing projects operating across the country.

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 110466, on private rented housing: homelessness, what projects were previously notified of the measures he is using in considering the effectiveness of existing projects operating across the country.

Mr Marcus Jones: There are various different types of mediated access schemes being operated across the country, including Help to Rent projects and Guarantee deposit schemes. We are considering how best to take forward a mediated access in the context of our overall homelessness prevention approach.

Anti-semitism: Young People

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to combat access to anti-Semitic propaganda among young people.

Mr Marcus Jones: We are working with internet service providers to ensure that antisemitic propaganda which is deemed illegal is removed within 24 hours. In addition, internet service providers are making a concerted effort to ensure that antisemitic propaganda does not appear at the top of search results.We are also supporting the Anne Frank Trust’s Switch off Prejudice programme, which empowers young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence, to challenge all forms of prejudice and discrimination and increase their digital resilience. The project is currently in its second year and has already achieved a significant impact on its participants.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the results of October to December 2016 consultation on homes in multiple occupation and residential licensing reform.

Alok Sharma: We plan to publish the Government response to the consultation on Houses in Multiple Occupation and residential reforms shortly.

Homelessness: Alcoholic Drinks

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of cheap, super-strength alcohol on rates of mortality among people who are homeless.

Mr Marcus Jones: No specific assessment has been made of this issue but this Government is committed to preventing and reducing homelessness across the board. That is why we are aiming to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminate it altogether by 2027. We are investing over £950 million to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in England by 2020 following the 2015 Spending Review. This includes £10 million of Social Impact Bond funding to support single homeless people with the most complex needs, such as mental health, substance or alcohol misuse.We are taking action by implementing the most ambitious legislative reform in decades, the Homelessness Reduction Act, in April 2018, which will ensure that more people get the help they need earlier, to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

David Mundell: The physical and mental wellbeing of staff in the Scotland Office is of course of vital importance. Although the Scotland Office does not employ staff directly, all staff have access to the wellness strategy and services of their direct employer. For the majority of staff, that is the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government. Both the Ministry of Justice and Scottish Government provide employee services that help to sustain physical and mental wellbeing, such as Occupational Health and a 24 hour employee assistance helpline. Mental health learning training packages are also available to all employees on the Civil Service Learning Portal.Additionally, as part of the UK Governance Group (UKGG), the Scotland Office have participated in the UKGG Wellbeing Week, designed to promote physical and mental wellbeing.

Productivity: Scottish Borders

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Scottish Enterprise on plans to boost productivity in the Scottish Borders.

David Mundell: I have met with Scottish Enterprise in my capacity as Member of Parliament for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale. I expect to have further discussions with both Scottish Enterprise and the new South of Scotland Enterprise Agency as we drive forward a Borderlands Growth Deal.

Department for International Trade

Trade

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what form the economic interest test to be used as part of the trade remedies investigation will take.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what research his Department has commissioned to support the development of the economic interest test which is to be used as part of the trade remedies investigation.

Greg Hands: As set out in the Department’s White Paper, "Preparing for our future UK trade policy," the UK’s trade remedies regime will include an economic interest test, which will be applied during any investigation and prior to any application of provisional or definitive trade remedy measures. The test will balance the need to address injury with the interests of domestic producers, any regional impacts, as well as those of other interested parties such as user industries and consumers. We are considering the detail of how this test will work in practice and, in doing so, we have been engaging with stakeholders to get their views and are committed to continuing that engagement. This process will also be informed by economic research commissioned by this Department through a public tender to provide evidence on the design and implementation of a future trade remedies framework, covering the following three broad themes: · Determination of injury· Consideration of wider economic interests· Review, monitoring and evaluation

Department of Trade: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to his Department's publication DIT ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings: April to June 2017, published on 13 October 2017, whether (a) representatives or employees of the firm which offered that hospitality and (b) lobbyists or contractors of those firms were present at those events.

Greg Hands: For events organised and held by outside organisations where Ministers are invited to attend, lists of attendees are not held centrally.

Trade Agreements

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 110770, on trade agreements; what representations he has received from organisations representing businesses on prioritising a trade deal with (a) the EU and (b) other countries close to agreeing a deal with the EU.

Greg Hands: The Government recently published a White Paper in which stakeholders were encouraged to share their views on a future UK trade policy. Representations received from organisations representing businesses include the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), British Retail Consortium, National Farmers Union, Design Council,the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and the Manufactures’ Organisation (EEF). The Government will continue to engage with and listen to the views of stakeholders throughout the development of the UK's future trade policy.

Department for International Trade: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade is committed to improving the physical and mental wellbeing of its workforce. This agenda has been a key priority in setting up the department in its first year of operation.Key activities to date to support this important agenda have included: setting up employee support networks; securing accreditation as a Disability confident employer at level 3; establishing a mental health first-aider network; participating in national wellbeing campaigns such as Know Your Numbers week and Back Care Awareness week with promotion through internal communication channels.Finally, the department offers an Employee Assistance programme to support staff. This is accessible 365 days a year and includes resources on coping with stress, leading a healthy life and counselling.

Overseas Trade: South Korea

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111150, on overseas trade: South Korea, what representations he has received from business organisations based (a) in the UK and (b) outside the UK on the ease of doing business after the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands: Britain and South Korea already enjoy a fruitful commercial relationship - South Korean enterprises recognise that the UK is a great place to do business, thanks to our long-term track record on the rule of law, transparent regulatory system, our competitive tax system and a highly skilled labour force – and the World Bank rates us seventh in the world for ease of doing business.The Department engages widely with businesses, representative bodies, civil society, and other stakeholders, as it works with international partners on our trade and investment relationships.

Agriculture: Overseas Trade

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2017 to Question 110740, on agriculture: overseas trade, what representations he has received from representatives of the food and farming sectors on the development of new trade deals with other countries.

Greg Hands: I refer the hon Member for Sefton Central to the answer I gave him on 9 November, UIN: 110740.

EU Trade

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with which countries the EU has trade deals; and how many of those countries he has visited since taking office.

Greg Hands: A list of countries with which the European Union has trade agreements in place is available on the European Commission website: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/negotiations-and-agreements/#_in-placeThrough a combination of ministerial and official engagements, the Department for International Trade is currently engaging with all countries with which the EU has trade agreements to discuss continuity of current trading arrangements as the UK leaves the EU.

EU Trade

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with countries that the EU has trade deals with about the operation of free trade agreements after March 2019.

Greg Hands: As the Government has set out in both the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) White Paper – ‘Preparing for our future UK trade policy’ – and the recently published Trade Bill , DIT is engaging with all countries with which the European Union currently has free trade agreements, with a view to replicating as far as possible the effects of existing agreements as the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.

EU Trade

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to maintain elements of existing free trade agreements between the EU and other countries when the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands: As the Government has set out in both the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) White Paper – ‘Preparing for our future UK trade policy’ – and the recently published Trade Bill. DIT is engaging with all countries with which the European Union currently has free trade agreements, with a view to replicating as far as possible the effects of existing agreements as the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.

World Trade Organisation

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2017 to Question 111584, on World Trade Organisation (WTO), what his planned timetable is for the (a) preparation and (b) agreement with the WTO of the amended schedules.

Greg Hands: Department for International Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Trade Agreements: USA

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 111399, on trade agreements: USA, whether the Trade and Investment Working Group involves discussions between US and Commonwealth nations.

Greg Hands: Department for International Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

World Trade Organisation

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2017 to Question 111584, on World Trade Organisation, which schedules need to be updated in order to minimise disruption.

Greg Hands: Department for International Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Overseas Trade: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of funding to help the North East join trade missions and grasp export opportunities.

Mark Garnier: All UK companies including those located or operating in the North East are able to access the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) national events and missions programme. This is available to view on GREAT.gov.uk which is promoted nationally.In addition, the North East benefits from participation in the specific DIT Northern Powerhouse (NPH) trade missions programme. The DIT North East team work closely with northern organisations and the UK’s global HMG network to assist companies who are participating in any trade mission, either NPH or national. A full list of NPH missions is published on the internet, as are all DIT national events and missions.

World Trade Organisation

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111584, which aspects of the UK's membership of the WTO the UK needs to update to replicate as far as possible current obligations after the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands: Department for International Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Women and Equalities

Government Equalities Office: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government Equalities Office is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in the Government Equalities Office.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I refer the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd, Chris Ruane to the answer I gave on 20 November 2017 to Question 112405 (http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=112405) .

Menopause

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make it her policy to issue guidance on supporting the needs of menopausal women in the workplace.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make it her policy to issue guidance on training for staff to support working women who are living through the menopause.

Anne Milton: The Government is supporting working women at all stages in their lives. The Women’s Business Council, a Government backed, business-led initiative, has held an action group that focuses specifically on removing the challenges within the workplace for older workers. It also helps employers to support working women living through the menopause. ‘The Age of Success’ toolkit includes practical information and advice for businesses to support the needs of menopausal women in the workplace. This will be published on 24 November 2017 on the Women’s Business Council website: http://womensbusinesscouncil.co.uk/toolkits/.

Equal Pay

Steve McCabe: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what plans she has to ensure that gender pay gap reporting is effectively enforced when it comes into effect in April 2018.

Anne Milton: Any failure to comply with the new gender pay gap regulations is unlawful under section 34 of the Equality Act 2006. This would be subject to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) enforcement. In the event of a breach of the regulations, the EHRC can issue unlawful act notices and, ultimately, court orders if an employer refuses to comply.

Department for Transport

Motorways: Kent

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the UK's freight traffic uses the Kent motorway network; and what proportion of funding for motorway resurfacing has been allocated to the M20 in the last five years.

Jesse Norman: The Department produces estimates of vehicle miles by vehicle type and road type. Based on 2016 estimates, 16.6 billion HGV miles were travelled on Britain’s roads. 1.9% of these HGV miles occurred on the Kent motorway network. 11% of all motorway resurfacing in the South East region during the last five years occurred on the M20.

Transport for London and Transport for the North: Investment

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the powers to invest available to (a) Transport for London and (b) Transport for the North.

Jesse Norman: The Mayor of London is elected by the residents of London. Transport responsibilities are devolved to him - he is responsible for the strategic direction of transport as well as operational delivery which is carried out by Transport for London (TfL). TfL manages multiple modes of transport including London Underground, London Overground, Buses, Docklands Light Railway as well as walking and cycling. TfL also manages London’s strategic roads. TfL naturally has powers to invest in the networks for which it has responsibility. In addition the Department and individual boroughs invest in networks in London for which they are responsible. Transport for the North (TfN) has no responsibility for the operational delivery of transport services. Its important role is to provide a strategic transport vision for the North. TfN will have, like TfL, (subject to Parliamentary approval) ‘very broad’ powers to invest in Transport. For instance, TfN have virtually the same power of competence given to combined authorities, except that TfN’s power of competence can only be applied to transport functions. Beyond this, the Government is also proposing that TfN have specific powers to fund joint transport projects (capital grants) and promote, fund and deliver joint road schemes (highway powers). It is not envisaged, however, that TfN will become either a Highway Authority or a transport operator.

Department for Transport: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

Paul Maynard: In DfT we take a whole person approach to wellbeing, meaning that while we do provide support specifically for physical and mental wellbeing, many of our initiatives are designed to support all aspects of employee wellbeing.In recent months we have:Introduced Mental Health Buddies, many of whom are specifically trained Mental Health First Aiders, who provide confidential peer to peer support for employees experiencing mental health issues;Offered flu vaccinations to the majority of employees;Introduced face-to-face health assessments for employees to obtain regular checks and track progress against key indicators such as blood pressure and cholesterol;Run a pilot to make 5 sessions of physiotherapy available to employees at risk of musculoskeletal issues due to the nature of their work;Run location specific Wellbeing Weeks to raise awareness of wellbeing issues and the support available to staff;Introduced a new management tool, the Wellbeing Action Plan, to support line managers in having good quality wellbeing conversations with their teams;Appointed Wellbeing Champions at Director level for both the central Department and wider DfT family, andIntroduced a Line Managers’ Toolkit for mental wellbeing, providing guidance on promoting mental wellbeing in the workplace. Ongoing work includes:Availability of phone and face to face support, including counselling, through our Employee Assistance Programme;Promotion of theme days and weeks such as Civil Service Physical Activity Week, the Civil Service Walking Challenge and Mental Health Awareness Week;Story sharing and communications aimed at breaking the stigma around mental health, led by but not limited to the Time to Change group;Activities provided by our sports and social clubs including lunchtime yoga and fitness classes;Participation in the Cycle to Work scheme which allows employees to purchase a bike at a discounted rate, andHolding an annual Fit for Business and Young Families Day which includes sporting and drop in activities available to all colleagues.

Crossrail 2 Line

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to release the business case which has been put to Transport for London on the future of Crossrail 2.

Paul Maynard: The Government is currently considering the Crossrail 2 Strategic Outline Business Case submitted by Transport for London to ensure it is a robust scheme, as with all transport scheme proposals. Once this is completed, we will consider plans for any publication.

Vehicle Number Plates: Fraud

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many instances of number plate fraud have been recorded in England and Wales in each year since 2010.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport does not hold information about instances of number plate fraud as this is a matter for the police to investigate.

Railways: Penalty Fares

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the management of rail penalty fares and the penalty fare appeals system.

Paul Maynard: The Government published a response in December 2016 outlining improvements to the existing penalty fares scheme and appeals procedure. This includes improving the Penalty Fares appeals system by adding a third stage, where appeals will be considered by an independent appeals panel. Train operators and appeals bodies will also be required to provide data on penalty fares appeals. This will strengthen department oversight of penalty fares appeals bodies and operators who issue penalty fares.

Railways: Penalty Fares

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to implement his Department's policy that penalty fares appeals bodies should be independent of train operators and owning companies; and whether the ownership of the Independent Penalty Fares Appeals Service by Govia is consistent with that policy.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to assess the independence of the rail penalty fares appeals service.

Paul Maynard: The Government published its response on the rail fares penalty appeal process consultation in December 2016. The response set out plans to bring forward a new Statutory Instrument which includes provisions requiring that penalty fares appeals bodies should be independent of Train operators and owning companies. The industry has already taken steps towards this objective and the Independent Penalty Fares Appeals Service is currently in the process of winding down consideration of penalty fare appeals.

Railway Stations: Cardiff

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 20 July 2017, HCWS85, on rail update, which Cardiff station is the intended recipient of funds for improvements referred to.

Paul Maynard: In his Written Ministerial Statement of 20 July 2017, the Transport Secretary made clear that he is committed to developing options to improve journeys for rail passengers across Wales including station improvements at Cardiff Station. The Cardiff Station to which the Transport Secretary was referring to in his statement was Cardiff Central Station.

Railways: Tickets

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Office of Rail and Road's enforcement of train-operating company licence provisions in terms of their meeting their retail code of practice obligations; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: As the independent regulator, the ORR has consumer law powers to protect passengers’ rights. The Government, in its guidance to ORR this July, made clear that the ORR should use these powers to hold industry to account. In June, ORR published the results of its audit of train operator websites against the Retail Code of Practice, and has identified areas for improvement in its consumer report. An update of this will be published in December.

Rail Delivery Group: Marketing

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Rail Delivery Group spent on marketing and advertising in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2015-16 and (c) 2014-15.

Paul Maynard: The Department for Transport does not hold information on the Rail Delivery Group’s spending on marketing and advertising.

Rail Delivery Group

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Rail Delivery Group; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: The Government is supportive of the Rail Delivery Group’s role of providing industry leadership in the railway to achieve better outcomes for rail users. We continue to work closely with them to ensure they are well placed to provide the strategic leadership needed to deliver key reforms in the railway.

Rail Delivery Group: Marketing

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse has been of (a) marketing and (b) advertising associated with the Rail Delivery Group's In Partnership for Britain's Prosperity campaign.

Paul Maynard: The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) is a private company funded by the membership fees paid by its members, which comprise Network Rail (a public body) and train company owning groups (which are private companies). The Department for Transport does not hold information as regards any specific contribution to In Partnership for Britain’s Prosperity made by Network Rail. The Department was not required to approve any funding.

Railways: Ombudsman

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether train-operating company participation in the Rail Ombudsman will be compulsory.

Paul Maynard: The Rail Ombudsman is being introduced on a voluntary basis. In this way, the scheme will be delivered far more quickly than could be achieved through a compulsory route, enabling the benefits to be felt by passengers as soon as possible. The Rail Delivery Group issued a press release on 4 August 2017 confirming that the train companies have collectively committed to introducing a new independent ombudsman to investigate and rule on unresolved customer complaints.

Public Transport: Ombudsman

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111403, whether the Government plans to extend the proposed Rail Passengers Ombudsman beyond the rail sector to cover other areas of passenger transport remit including aviation, buses and ferries.

Paul Maynard: The Rail Delivery Group is procuring a specialist ombudsman provider to run a scheme for rail passengers. There are currently no plans to extend the remit of the Rail Ombudsman into other areas of passenger transport. Redress and resolution services already exist in other areas of passenger transport, such as the alternative dispute resolution arrangements in place for aviation passengers and bus passengers.

Tolls: Bridges

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review the (a) volume of traffic and (b) level of toll charges at toll bridges operating under the provision of pre-20th century acts of Parliament.

Jesse Norman: A review of the methods of application/consultation was carried out in 2014. There are no plans to carry out a further review.

Tolls: Bridges

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the extent to which traffic queuing for toll bridges operating under the provision of pre-20th century acts of Parliament contributes to traffic congestion in the areas around those toll bridges.

Jesse Norman: These toll bridges are privately owned and operated. The surrounding roads are not part of the strategic road network. These roads are therefore the responsibility of the local highway authority and the Secretary of State has no authority to carry out such an assessment.

Tolls: Bridges

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on toll bridges operating under the provision of pre-20th century acts of Parliament.

Jesse Norman: The Secretary of State for Transport holds information relating to applications to vary tolls for a number of tolled crossings.

Roads: Accidents

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 1 February 2016 to Question HL5729, if his Department will discuss with representatives of local highway authorities the Government's recommendation that those authorities consider scanning any deceased cats or dogs found on the highway for which they are responsible as a matter of standard practice.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport has already highlighted to local highway authorities the importance of scanning deceased dogs and cats found on the highway as part of standard practice. This advice was included in a letter sent in March 2015 to highway authorities in England, outside London. It is the responsibility of each highway authority to determine whether to do so or not based on their own policies and procedures. However, the Department for Transport will look for opportunities to highlight the issue to local authorities.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Kamal Foroughi

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Iranian authorities to secure the release of Kamal Foroughi.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign Secretary regularly expresses his concerns about all our dual national cases with Foreign Minister Zarif. Our Ambassador in Tehran raises these cases at every opportunity as part of his regular discussions with the Iranian Government. I most recently raised this case with the Iranian Ambassador to the UK on 14 November.

Sikhs: India

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will initiate an independent inquiry into the role of the British Government in circumstances surrounding the killing of Sikhs in India in 1984.

Mark Field: ​I am aware of the concerns raised by the Sikh Federation UK in their report released on 1 November. I appreciate that the tragic events of 1984 are still the source of great pain to many in the Sikh community. The Cabinet Secretary's 2014 investigation into the UK military role in Operation Blue Star concluded that UK military advice and assistance was advisory, ended several months before the operation and had limited impact on the tragic events that followed. I am satisfied that the 2014 review dealt conclusively with this issue.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will review its policy on arms sales to Saudi Arabia as a result of the decision by Saudi Arabia to initiate a full blockade of Yemen.

Alistair Burt: ​The British Government takes its arms export licensing responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application. The key test for our continued arms exports to Saudi Arabia in relation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is whether there is a clear risk that those items subject to the licence might be used in a serious violation of IHL. The situation is kept under careful and continual review.We are aware that, following the 4 November ballistic missile attack on Riyadh, the Saudi-led Coalition announced a temporary closure of Yemen's land, sea and air ports while they review procedures designed to disrupt weapons smuggling prohibited under UNSCR 2216. We recognise Saudi Arabia's legitimate need to protect its national security, but at the same time it is vital that Yemen remains open to humanitarian and commercial access. We welcome the Coalition's announcement that ports and airports in territory controlled by the Government of Yemen have reopened. But clearly there is much further to go to ensure humanitarian and commercial supplies reach all those who need them. As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office statement on 15 November made clear, it is essential that UN flights are resumed and Hodeidah port reopened. The Government is engaged with the Saudi authorities at the highest levels in support of this.

Billy Barclay

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons his Department advised the family of Billy Barclay to refrain from raising his case of detention in the UAE in the UK media and enlisting the assistance of Detained in Dubai.

Alistair Burt: Our consular policy is to provide advice, when requested, on what the consequences of speaking or not speaking to the media could be, but we would not recommend a particular course of action. Similarly, our consular officials do not advise people against seeking support from other organisations.

Cayman Islands: Companies

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of the Cayman Islands on (a) automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information with HM Revenue and Customs and UK law enforcement agencies and (b) a public register of beneficial ownership.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The Foreign Secretary has not held any discussions with the Government of the Cayman Islands on the systematic exchange of beneficial ownership information with HM Revenue and Customs and UK law enforcement agencies, or on a public central register of beneficial ownership.

British Overseas Territories: Tax Avoidance

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made an estimate of the scale of tax avoidance in the overseas territories.

Sir Alan Duncan: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) only estimates tax lost to avoidance within the United Kingdom. HMRC does not estimate tax losses outside its jurisdiction.

Human Rights: British Nationals Abroad

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in how many cases of UK citizens abroad including dual nationals his Department has received claims of torture and similar human rights abuses; and in how many of such cases his Department consulted its pro bono medical panel since 2010 for each (a) year and (b) country.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 20 November 2017



We take all allegations of torture and mistreatment very seriously, whether they affect a dual or mono national. We regularly review these cases and our strategies. In June 2017, there were 166 ongoing cases where torture and/or mistreatment allegations were raised by mono or dual nationals. We do not distinguish these cases by nationality when considering how to act and therefore do not keep such statistics.Where appropriate, the pro bono medical panel members can provide advice to British nationals in detention overseas, via the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, about their medical condition following an assessment of their medical records. This is not limited to those cases where torture and/or mistreatment has been alleged. We do not keep statistics of the number or type of referrals made.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has consulted its pro bono medical panel about harms and risks to the mental and physical health of Ms Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 20 November 2017



We are aware of a number of health concerns experienced by Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. We have raised these previously on a number of occasions, and our Ambassador in Tehran raised them again with the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister on 15 November, following informaton about a new medical condition. We are assured by her family that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is receiving appropriate medical treatment, and therefore have not had any reason to consult our pro bono medical panel.

Jagtar Singh Johal

Preet Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is offering to Jagtar Singh Johal.

Mark Field: The British High Commission raised this case with the Indian authorities immediately on notification of Mr Johal's detention and continued to press for consular access until it was granted. Following senior representations​ to the Indian authorities, consular staff were able to meet Mr Johal on 16 November, and staff in London have met his family to update them.​ Consular officials are continuing to provide assistance to Mr Johal and are engaging with his family.

Togo: Human Rights

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports the Government has received of possible human rights abuses by the Government of Togo against its citizens; and if he will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: Although the United Kingdom does not have a diplomatic mission in Togo, we monitor the situation closely and receive reports from EU Heads of Mission and other partners. Our High Commissioner to Ghana - who is also accredited to Ghana - met the Togolese Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey on 9 October and urged the Government of Togo to respond in a measured way to any protests and encourage all parties to enter into peaceful dialogue. We are working with partners in the region to urge a peaceful solution to the protests in Togo.

Togo: Politics and Government

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports the Government has received on potential violations of the commitment to democracy, protection of human rights and other Commonwealth principles by the Government of Togo.

Rory Stewart: The United Kingdom does not have a diplomatic mission in Togo. However, we monitor closely the situation with partners on the ground and continue to urge all parties to exercise restraint and enter into peaceful dialogue. Our High Commissioner to Ghana, who is also accredited to Togo, was able to make these points to the Foreign Minister when he visited Togo on 9 October.

Togo: Politics and Government

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment the Government has made of the political situation in Togo; and if he will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: The United Kingdom has been closely following the situation in Togo. We are working with key partners in the region to urge a peaceful solution to the protests and fully support the joint message issued by the EU and other members of the international community on 22 September 2017, which deplored the violence in Mango and called for all parties to exercise restraint. Our High Commissioner to Ghana – who is also accredited to Togo – made these points clear when he met the Togolese Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, on 9 October. We encourage all parties to engage in peaceful dialogue with a view to adopting constitutional reforms to bring Togo in line with the region in introducing Presidential term limits and strengthening democracy – enabling local and legislative elections to take place during 2018.

Yemen: Weapons

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss the matter of arms smuggling into Yemen with his Iranian counterpart during his forthcoming visit to that country.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 20 November 2017



The UK has longstanding concerns about Iranian involvement in Yemen, which we have raised with the Iranian Government. The Foreign Secretary will discuss a variety of regional and bilateral issues with his counterparts on any future visit to Iran. I made a statement on 9 November expressing concerns about reports that Iran has provided the Houthis with ballistic missiles, which threaten regional security and prolong the conflict.​​

Yemen: Airports

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Saudi-led coalition on re-opening Sana'a International Airport in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 20 November 2017



We recognise Saudi Arabia's legitimate need to protect its national security following the attempted 4 November missile attack on Riyadh. At the same time, as our statement of 15 November made clear, it is vital that Yemen remains open to humanitarian and commercial access. We call for the immediate resumption of UN flights and the reopening of Hodeidah port. We have engaged with the Saudi Arabian Government at the highest levels on this issue since the 4 November incident and will continue to do so. We are also closely engaged with the UAE and other regional and international partners.

Adam Smith International: Finance

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department has provided to Adam Smith International in each year from 2012 to 2016.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has made payments to Adam Smith International as below:Year: Amount (£m)2012: 1.9 2013: 3.5 2014: 2.9 2015: 19.3 2016: 35.8

Intelligence Services: Detainees

Mr Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress the Government has made on considering how to revise the Consolidated Guidance to Intelligence Officers and Service Personnel on the Detention and Interviewing of Detainees Overseas, and on the Passing and Receipt of Intelligence Relating to Detainees.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Prime Minister made a Written Ministerial Statement on 15 September 2016 informing Parliament that the Government would consider what changes could be made to the Consolidated Guidance to address points made by Sir Mark Waller, the then Intelligence Services Commissioner. This work has been taken forward and the Government will seek the views of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament on it in the context of their wider Detainee Inquiry.

Intelligence Services: Detainees

Mr Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Government Departments, parliamentary committees and civil society groups the Government plans to consult on revisions to the Consolidated Guidance to Intelligence Officers and Service Personnel on the Detention and Interviewing of Detainees Overseas, and on the Passing and Receipt of Intelligence Relating to Detainees.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The Cabinet Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Home Office and Ministry of Defence as well as the security and intelligence agencies, National Crime Agency and SO15 have been fully involved in the work to consider what changes could be made to the Consolidated Guidance. The Government will seek the views of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament on it in the context of their wider Detainee Inquiry.

Aman Vyas

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made, by whom within his Department, to which organisations in relation to the extradition hearings in India of Aman Vyas between May and November 2017.

Mark Field: British Officials in the High Commission in New Delhi, and in London, regularly engage with the Indian authorities on this case. Officials in the British High Commission in New Delhi have also attended court sessions on the case and will continue to do so. Ministers will raise the case with the Indian Authorities where the opportunities ​arise.

Israeli Settlements

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of compliance by the Israeli Government with UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) on urging an end to Israeli settlements.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 20 November 2017



​UN Security Council Resolution 2334 addresses settlements while also calling for an end to incitement and terror. The resolution was passed on 23 December 2016 and asks the Secretary-General to report to the Council every three months on the implementation of its provisions. We are gravely concerned by the increased pace of settlement advancement by the Israeli government in 2017, including plans for the first new settlement deep in the West Bank in more than 25 years, the first new housing units in Hebron for 15 years, and legislation to retroactively approve unauthorised settlement outposts.

Gaza: Seas and Oceans

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support he has given to EU proposals to provide sea access to Gaza.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 20 November 2017



There have been no formal proposals from the European Commission on this matter. The UK continues to urge Israel and Egypt to ease movement and access restrictions on Gaza, stressing the damage the restrictions are doing to the living standards of ordinary Gazans. The UK remains committed to supporting vulnerable Gazans, through funding for basic service delivery through the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and private sector development programmes. We will continue to urge the parties to prioritise progress towards reaching a durable solution for Gaza and to take the necessary practical steps to ensure Gaza’s reconstruction and economic recovery.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government means by a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine; and how it plans to help achieve that solution.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 20 November 2017



​The UK’s longstanding position on the Middle East Peace Process is clear: we support a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair, agreed, and realistic settlement for refugees. We will continue to press Israel and the Palestinians strongly on the need to re-enter direct negotiations and refrain from taking actions which make peace more difficult. The Foreign Secretary reiterated the UK’s support for a two-state solution and urged renewed progress on the Middle East Peace Process when he met Prime Minister Netanyahu in London on 2 November.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Malaria

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department provided for activities to combat malaria in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.

Alistair Burt: DFID tackles malaria through bilateral programmes in countries, research, multilateral funding to the Global Fund and the World Health Organisation, and through activities such as strengthening health systems in endemic countries.The Malaria Framework for Results estimated UK spend at £428 million for 2014/15. This was the final year of the Framework and no estimate of comparable spend was produced for 2015/16. All direct bilateral malaria spend and relevant multilateral contributions are available in Statistics on International Development . DFID is currently the second largest global funder of the effort against malaria and expects to remain a leading global donor in the future.

Kenya: Visits Abroad

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings and engagements the previous Secretary of State for International Development had during her visit to Kenya on 7 and 8 November 2017.

Rory Stewart: The Rt Hon Member for Witham resigned as Secretary of State for International Development on 8 November. Details of Ministerial Meetings will be published in the Department's Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.

South Sudan: Violence

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department plans to spend on prevention of gender based violence in South Sudan in 2017-18; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of spending on that matter in that country in the last three years.

Rory Stewart: The UK is funding a four year £13 million programme (2016-2020) which includes a significant element for addressing sexual and gender based violence, focusing both on response for survivors and longer term prevention and community engagement work. The programme will spend £5.6million in 2017 including on gender based violence.

Syria: Overseas Aid

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to implement the UK's commitments as part of the Grand Bargain on Syria.

Alistair Burt: The UK is committed to implementing the Grand Bargain through our response to the Syria Crisis. We are leading the way by placing its key principles – such as greater transparency and more effective prioritisation of aid – at the heart of our own response, and encouraging others to do the same. At the 2016 London Syria conference, we pushed for a shift to more multi-year financing to enable better long-term planning, and helped secure pledges of $6.1 billion. At this year’s Brussels Syria conference, we joined our co-chairs and other participants in committing to further action to include Grand Bargain commitments in the Syria response to ensure that it is effective and efficient.

Developing Countries: Malaria

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what change there has been in rates of malaria in countries receiving UK funding for anti-malarial products since January 2016.

Alistair Burt: The World Health Organization tracks rates of malaria and publishes these in its annual World Malaria Report. The latest available report, published in 2016, contains data up to 2015 and showed a decline in malaria cases of 21% globally between 2010 and 2015. The 2017 report is expected to be published in late November and will include data for 2016. Reliable data for 2017 will not be available until late 2018.The UK provides support to all affected countries to tackle malaria through bilateral programmes, multilateral funding to the Global Fund and the World Health Organization, and support to strengthen health systems in endemic countries.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Alistair Burt: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan assessed that 1.1 million of Gaza’s population and 0.5 million in the West Bank are acutely vulnerable and in need of humanitarian assistance in 2017; and report that a lack of funding for water, sanitation and hygiene interventions have left 1.45 million Gazans at risk of waterborne diseases.I visited Gaza and the West Bank in August and saw the extent of the humanitarian situation first hand. The UK is supporting approximately 1 million Gazans by addressing critical water, sanitation and hygiene needs through the United Nations Children’s Fund. The UK is also a long-term supporter of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, which provides basic services to people across Gaza and the West Bank, including basic health care.

Developing Countries: Data Protection

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to prioritise data disaggregation for all forms of exclusion, including by ethnic group, in advance of next year's Data Festival and the development of an SDG Data Disaggregation Charter.

Penny Mordaunt: At the World Data Forum in January 2017, DFID launched its Data Disaggregation Action Plan. Under the Action Plan, DFID will work with others in the international community to develop tools, methods and guidance across all Sustainable Development Goal disaggregation variables, including ethnic group, as well as disaggregating its own data. The UK is supporting the development of a new global, Inclusive Data Charter, building upon the DFID Data Disaggregation Action Plan and covering all forms of disaggregation.

Global Partnership for Education

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has to work with France and Senegal to replenish funds for the Global Partnership for Education to 2020.

Penny Mordaunt: DFID’s has been the largest bilateral donor to the Global Partnership for Education, providing £210m for the 2015-2018 replenishment period. We are pleased that France and Senegal will jointly host the replenishment conference in February 2018, which provides an excellent opportunity to bring more finance into the education sector. Officials in DFID are in discussion with their counterparts in France about this replenishment, and we look forward to working with both France and Senegal further in advance of the conference.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, on what date her Department's Office in Bangladesh became aware of the possibility of an influx of Rohingya refugees to that country; and what steps it took in response to that awareness.

Penny Mordaunt: The DFID office in Bangladesh was aware that rising tensions Rakhine State that could lead to an influx of refugees in the week of 15 August. The UK was already providing support to Rohingya people and the communities that host them in Bangladesh long before the current influx began. This includes programming of £13.9 million since 2014.In late August, our daily monitoring showed that numbers of new arrivals were rising. We released £5 million additional funding to meet urgent needs on 8 September. Since then we have announced a further £42 million, bringing the total to £47 million since the start of the cirisis. We are providing food, medical help, safe water and sanitation, shelter, nutrition and psychological support to Rohingya refugees.

Caribbean: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the British Red Cross' appeal for hurricane recovery efforts in the Caribbean has raised; and whether the Government has paid or transferred matching funds.

Penny Mordaunt: The British Red Cross’ appeal for hurricane recovery efforts in the Caribbean has raised over £5m in total to date. This includes £1,852,665 of match funding by the Government. The appeal is still open and the Government has agreed to match up to a total of £3m, donated before 7 December. Matching funds will be transferred after this date.

Department for Education

Pupils: Personal Records

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what basis journalists can access identifying and sensitive health data about children's special educational needs from the national pupil database; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Any request to use National Pupil Database data is only processed if it complies with the requirements of the Education (Individual Pupil Information) (Prescribed Persons) (England) Regulations 2009, made under section 537A(4) of the Education Act 1996 and the Data Protection Act 1998. As part of the approval process officials, including senior data experts and legal advisers, assess each application for legality, proportionality and security. The panel must also be satisfied that the access requested is ethical and of value to education. If journalists are able to meet these standards, their request will be considered.

Classroom Assistants: Primary Education

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary school teaching assistants there were in (a) 2000, (b) 2005, (c) 2010 and (d) 2015.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in service in state funded nursery and primary schools in January 2000, 2005, 2010 and November 2015.  JanuaryNovember 2000200520102015Teaching Assistants53,40097,900126,300174,500Source: School Workforce Census

Classroom Assistants: Secondary Education

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary school teaching assistants there were in (a) 2000, (b) 2005, (c) 2010 and (d) 2015.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in service in state funded secondary schools in January 2000, 2005, 2010 and November 2015. JanuaryNovember 2000200520102015Teaching Assistants12,50030,00039,90052,300Source: School Workforce Census

Arts: Education

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support creative learning in schools to encourage children to seek careers in such learning.

Nick Gibb: The Government believes all pupils should have access to an excellent, well-rounded education. All schools must provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school.The national curriculum, provides many opportunities for pupils to develop knowledge and skills in a wide range of creative subjects, including art and design, music and design, and technology.We have announced almost £400 million of funding in 2016-20 for a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes that are designed to improve access to the arts for all children, regardless of their background, and to develop talent across the country. This includes £300 million for music education hubs in 2016-20 and over £8 million in 2016-18 for cultural education programmes including Saturday Art and Design Clubs, the National Youth Dance Company and the BFI’s Film Academy programme. It also includes £58 million for the Music and Dance Scheme and £27m for the Dance and Drama Awards Scheme (both in 2016-18), which allow exceptionally talented children and young people to attend specialist music, dance and drama institutions.

Department for Education: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in her Department.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Civil Service has set out five priorities for the health and wellbeing of its employees, including priorities in relation to physical and mental wellbeing. The civil service has also committed to being a leading employer on mental health support, in line with the recommendations set out in the recently published independent review, Thriving at Work.The Department for Education (DfE), which includes the Government Equalities Office, actively promotes the physical and mental wellbeing of its staff in a number of ways. The department has a wellbeing champion at Director-General level, who attends cross-government meetings with other champions, and sponsors the department’s Wellbeing and Neurodivergence staff networks.The departmental intranet hosts a wellbeing toolkit, with links to the NHS Change for Life website, and promotes the NHS Get Active campaign. There is also a DfE sports and recreation site.In February, the department launched a Mental Health First Aiders network, which now numbers over 60 people trained to support staff with mental health issues. The Mental Health First Aiders signpost colleagues to available support, and help to destigmatise and encourage open conversations about mental health.DfE staff also have access to free support and advice on a range of issues including health and wellbeing, 24 hours a day, via the employee assistance programme.

Department for Education: Staff

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of her Department's staff have been employed in each region in each of the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The table attached, available from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), provides a breakdown in total headcount figures of Department staff in the last five years.Published Civil Service statistics can be found on the ONS website: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics.



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Apprentices: Bolton North East

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people in Bolton North East constituency have undertaken an apprenticeship in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: The table below provides the number of people who started an apprenticeship in the Parliamentary constituency Bolton North East for the last 10 academic years.Academic YearStarts2007/085702008/095202009/106602010/1110002011/1211302012/1311502013/149302014/1510902015/1610502016/17 (provisional)960 Notes:Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.Figures for all years are final, except for the 2016/17 academic year, which is provisional.Figures for 2011/12 onwards are already published and can be obtained: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/650904/201617_Oct_Apps_Geography_Data_Pack_Final.xlsm.Figures for 2007/08 to 2010/11 are already published and can be obtained: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/586183/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xlsx.Figures for 2011/12 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years as a Single Individualised Learner Record data collection system has been introduced.Parliamentary Constituency data is based upon the home postcode of the learner.This table includes 2014/15 Employer Ownership Pilot (EOP) volumes that have not been finalised due to problems with the final 2014/15 EOP data collection.

Apprentices

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeships her Department supported in each subject area in the last year for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The table below provides the number of people who started apprenticeships in England in the provisional 2016/17 academic year, by a breakdown of sector subject area.Sector Subject AreaStartsAgriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care7,290Arts, Media and Publishing860Business, Administration and Law137,480Construction, Planning and the Built Environment21,010Education and Training8,780Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies74,010Health, Public Services and Care138,410Information and Communication Technology15,010Leisure, Travel and Tourism13,670Retail and Commercial Enterprise74,520Science and Mathematics290All491,300 Note: Figures include all funded and unfunded learners reported on the Individualised Learner Record and are rounded to the nearest 10, with the grand total rounded to the nearest 100. This is currently published by the department, and is available in the ‘Apprenticeship starts by level, framework and sector subject area data tool’: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/650226/201617_Oct_Apps_Level_SSA_And_Framework_Data_Tool_FINAL.xlsx.

Apprentices

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average length of a modern apprenticeship was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: In the latest 2016/17 provisional final year figures, the average length of stay on apprenticeship programmes was 479.8 days.Notes:Data source: Single Individualised Learner Record (SILR).Within the SILR, providers can record the start date, planned end date, and actual end date for each apprenticeship record.Actual end date is only recorded for learners who have reached the end of their programme, or those who have withdrawn early.This calculation only includes those learners who have completed their programme.Some learners can complete their programme in a shorter time due to prior learning.Some learners take longer than expected due to planned breaks in learning.A small number of learners from the Employer Outcome Pilot are not included in this calculation.

GCE A-Level

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of A-level students who do not progress to their second year of study.

Nick Gibb: The Department will be publishing statistics on students, undertaking their 16-18 studies, who return to the same institution for a second year of study. These will be available in March 2018 for the academic year 2016/17. The Department published ‘retention’[1] figures for the academic year 2015/16 (and will publish the 2016/17 figures in March 2018). These can be obtained from the Department’s ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results: 2015 to 2016 (revised)’ SFR[2]. The ‘retention’ figures are not synonymous with students who did, or did not, progress to their second year of study. They are the closest available information the Department has published until the number of students returning for a second year is published in March 2018. The retention measure shows the percentage of students who get to the end of the programme of study they enrolled on at a provider. Measures across A level, tech level and applied general programmes should not be compared due to differences in entry patterns.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2015-to-2016-revised - Open the ‘Retention measure, completion and attainment measure and tech level minimum standards: SFR05/2017’ document and then use table 20a.

GCE A-Level

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussion she has had with (a) the National Education Union, (b) the National Association of Head Teachers and (c) local authorities on supporting students who do not receive the required grades to progress into their second year of A-level study.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received from (a) parliamentarians, (b) parents and (c) trade unions on students who are disallowed from progressing into the second year of A-level study by schools.

Nick Gibb: Schools are not permitted to disallow pupils from progressing into the second year of A level study on the basis of their results. Once the pupil has been admitted to a school sixth form, they can only be removed from the roll if they meet one of the criteria set out in the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended. Where we have received correspondence on this matter from parents, we have set out this position very clearly. If a school sets academic entry standards for pupils to progress into the school sixth form, the regulations say that they may remove pupils from their register at this point, if they have failed to meet these standards and will cease to be of compulsory school age before the school next meets. At all other points, including between academic Year 12 and 13, it is unlawful to remove pupils as a result of their academic attainment.Schools can exclude pupils, either permanently or for a fixed period, for disciplinary reasons, and the Department supports schools in using exclusion where this is warranted. Exclusion on any grounds other than discipline is unlawful. Where a pupil is asked to leave the school, the formal exclusions process set out in the school exclusion guidance must be followed. Schools may not exclude pupils because of their academic attainment or ability. In September the Department wrote to all secondary schools and local authorities to remind them of these rules. Under the Education and Skills Act 2008, all young people are required to continue in education or training until at least their 18th birthday. Local authorities have a duty to track the activity of young people in their area, and to support them to re-engage in education and training. Any young person in this situation can contact their local authority Post 16 Education service to discuss what other options are available to them locally.

Training

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students aged 24 or over have enrolled on courses at Level 3  or above in (a) healthcare, (b) social care and (c) business and accounting in each year since 2010.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students aged 24 or over have enrolled on courses at Level 3 or above in each year since 2010.

Anne Milton: Students aged 24 or over on courses at level 3 or above are involved in either further or higher education.Further Education (FE):All FE participants aged 24 and over on level 3+ courses in England: 2010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/16Learner participation (24+, L3+)374,900375,600424,400308,600284,000316,000Notes:The source is the Individualised Learner Record.Figures for 2010/11 to 2013/14 have been taken from a previous parliamentary question response (2015/11622).This tables includes Apprenticeships, Workplace Learning, Community Learning and Education and Training provision (including the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service) taken at General Further Education Colleges (including Tertiary), Sixth Form Colleges, Special Colleges (Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and Art and Design Colleges), Specialist Colleges and External Institutions.Volumes are rounded to the nearest hundred. We do not hold data on FE participants within each sector to exactly match the categories requested ((a) healthcare, (b) social care and (c) business and accounting). We do publish data for apprenticeship starts by sector subject area (2011/12 to 2016/16 provisional) at level 3+ (advanced and higher apprenticeships) albeit with a 25+ age group in the following tool: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/650226/201617_Oct_Apps_Level_SSA_And_Framework_Data_Tool_FINAL.xlsx.Higher Education:Information on participation in higher education at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Further Education Colleges (FECs) in England has been provided in the attached table. The subject breakdowns requested are not standard categories in the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS), and so counts on this basis could only be provided at disproportionate cost. More information on JACS is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/jacs.There were a further 13,725 students aged 24 or over enrolled on first-degree courses. Of these students,17,060 were enrolled on other undergraduate courses recorded by the Higher Education Statistics Agency as having participated on Higher Education courses designated for student support at Alternative Providers in the academic year 2015/16. Comparable information for earlier years is not available.



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Students: Loans

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students have taken out advanced learner loans in each year since they were introduced.

Anne Milton: The table below provides an overview of the approved applications received for Advanced Learner Loans since their introduction in the 2013/14 academic year to the latest published data for the 2016/17 academic year.Academic yearNumber of approved applications2013/1456,2202014/1556,8702015/1671,1902016/1782,290 Notes:1. 24+ Advanced Learning Loans were expanded to those aged 19 and over starting in the 2016/17 academic year and were renamed to ‘Advanced Learner Loans’.2. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10.3. Final application data is as at 30 September for each academic year, starting from 30/09/14 and ending with 30/09/17.Data on Advanced Learner Loans from the 2013/14 academic year onwards is published by the department and available at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/further-education.

Department for Education: Databases

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Data Exchange project began; and what progress has been made in achieving the aims of that project.

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish impact and risk assessments undertaken on schools for the Data Exchange project.

Nick Gibb: The Data Exchange Project began with a small team in 2013 exploring options to modernise the flow of data across the sector in response to an Independent Analytical Review. A project, focusing on how best to deliver the current intended scope and benefits, began in January 2016. Consultation since then has included regular testing and research with schools, proportionate to the stage of the project.The project has undertaken an initial privacy impact screening assessment. This is reviewed as work progresses to ensure all privacy risks are regularly assessed. Data Exchange has recently passed its end Alpha phase Government Digital Service (GDS) assessment, demonstrating the approach taken so far has clearly understood the risks and benefits associated with change. Passing that GDS assessment requires demonstration of regular work alongside users in schools (and elsewhere), to design an approach that will benefit schools and others without adding unnecessary complexity, risk or burden.A copy of the latest initial impact screening assessment has been placed in the House library.

Education: Standards

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to share best practice with and from the devolved Parliament and Assemblies on delivering improvements in educational attainment among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Officials engage with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to share best practice on topics of mutual interest and concern. Improving the education attainment of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds is a regular topic at the twice-yearly four nations meetings facilitated by the British Council – the last meeting took place 7-8 November. It was also a theme of the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP). The published report from ISTP - http://asiasociety.org/global-cities-education-network/empowering-and-enabling-teachers-improve-equity-and-outcomes-all - illustrates how England and Scotland shared recent initiatives aimed at breaking the link between social deprivation and educational and adult success.

Arts: GCSE

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students have studied at least two arts subjects at GCSE level in Coventry in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The number of pupils, at the end of KS4[1], with at least two entries[2] into arts subjects at GCSE level (including equivalents)[3] in Coventry[4] is: Year[5]Pupils entering at least two arts subjects at GCSE2012-132162013-143192014-153722015-162362016-17288   [1] Pupils are identified as being at the end of key stage 4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census for that year. Age is calculated as at 31 August for that year, and the majority of pupils at the end of key stage 4 were age 15 at the start of the academic year. Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group.[2] In line with secondary performance measures and early entry policy, discounting has been applied. More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-4-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores.[3] Includes: Applied Art & Design, Art & Design, Drama, Performing Arts, Media/Film/TV Studies, Music and Dance. Does not include History of Art and Creative Writing. Includes GCSE full courses, level 2 equivalents, GCSE double awards and AS levels.[4] All pupils at the end of key stage 4 who attend a school in the local authority of Coventry.[5] 2016 data is final and may differ from previously published figures. 2017 data is provisional.

Arts: GCSE

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many GCSE entries for arts subjects there were from students in Coventry in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The number of entries[1] into arts subjects at GCSE level (including equivalents)[2], by pupils at the end of key stage 4[3] in Coventry[4] is: Year[5]Number of entries into arts subjects GCSE20131,40920141,84920152,10420161,74720171,828[1] In line with secondary performance measures and early entry policy, discounting has been applied. More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-4-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores.[2] Includes: Applied Art & Design, Art & Design, Drama, Performing Arts, Media/Film/TV Studies, Music and Dance. Does not include History of Art and Creative Writing. Includes GCSE full courses, level 2 equivalents, GCSE double awards and AS levels.[3] Pupils are identified as being at the end of key stage 4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census for that year. Age is calculated as at 31 August for that year, and the majority of pupils at the end of key stage 4 were age 15 at the start of the academic year. Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group.[4] All pupils at the end of key stage 4 who attend a school in the local authority of Coventry.[5] 2017 data is provisional and others are final data.

Primary Education: Coventry South

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary schools in Coventry South constituency were full or oversubscribed in the school years commencing in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary schools in Coventry South constituency were full or oversubscribed in the school years commencing in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The department collects information from each local council on the number of schools, the number of places in those schools and the number of pupils on roll through the annual school capacity survey. The department does not collect school capacity information at parliamentary constituency level. Data relating to the position in the 2016/17 academic year will be published in the new year. Data for May 2016 (relating to academic year 2015/16) can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-capacity-academic-year-2015-to-2016. As at May 2016 (which relates to academic year 2015/16), four of 85 primary schools in Coventry were full or had at least one pupil in excess of capacity. As at May 2016 (which relates to academic year 2015/16), two of 23 secondary schools in Coventry were full or had at least one pupil in excess of capacity. The individual schools can be identified in the underlying data for each publication by comparing the capacity of the school with the number on roll. The department does not have a measure for over-subscription. The admissions and offers process is run by the local councils who are responsible for ensuring that the admissions criteria are applied for all schools.

Schools: West Sussex

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what work her officials are doing with West Sussex County Council to improve the performance of maintained schools and academies.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I refer my Rt hon. Friend for Mid Sussex to the answer I gave on 23 October 2017 to 108593:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2017-10-18/108593/.

Academies: Admissions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 112004, on academies: admissions, whether the Secretary of State declined any of the 14 requests in the academic year 2016-17 for direct admission of a looked-after child to an academy.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Where a local council considers that an academy will best meet the needs of a child, it can ask the academy to admit the child but has no powers to direct it to do so. The local council and the academy will usually come to an agreement, but if an academy refuses to admit a child, the local council can ask the Secretary of State to intervene. Looked after children are amongst the most vulnerable in our society and the Secretary of State is committed to supporting them to have the best possible start in life. In 2016/17, there were no declined cases following the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s intervention on behalf of my Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Apprentices: Taxation

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the amount of underspend on the apprenticeship levy; and what proportion of this amount is for the North West.

Anne Milton: The apprenticeships programme is demand-led, which means employers will recruit apprentices that are appropriate for their business needs. The 2015 Spending Review set forward budgets for apprenticeship investment, and £2.45 billion will be invested in apprenticeships in England by 2019-20. This is double the amount spent in 2010-11. The apprenticeships budget from 2016-2020 can be found on page 8 of ‘Information on apprenticeship levy’, which can viewed via: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545145/Apprenticeships_-expected_levy_and_total_spend_-_Aug_2016.pdf. We will publish details on aggregate apprenticeship spending in the Departmental end-of-year accounts as part of our normal financial reporting cycle. We have not made a geographical assessment of apprenticeship spending.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what safeguards her Department operates to prevent the abuse of student loan funding by private Higher Education providers.

Joseph Johnson: Higher Education Institutions that are designated for student support must, on an annual basis, meet robust standards for quality, financial sustainability, and management and governance. Designated Alternative Providers without their own Degree Awarding Powers are also subject to student number controls, limiting the number of students eligible for student support that they can recruit each year. The Department can and does use sanctions where breaches of the conditions of designation are identified, including the suspension or removal of designation for student support where we have serious concerns about providers. Following the passage of the Higher Education and Research Act, the Office for Students (OfS) will be established formally in January 2018. It will provide, for the first time, a single regulator for higher education providers regardless of how they are funded. The OfS will have powers to assess the quality of, and standards applied to all English Higher Education provision. The OfS will place a focus on students and greater emphasis on ensuring value for money for students and taxpayers. There will continue to be tough and rigorous tests for providers who want to enter the system and enable students from all backgrounds to receive funding.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been paid to students of private Higher Education providers who were subsequently determined to be ineligible in each of the last five full financial years.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Education: Public Expenditure

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the additional ring-fenced RDEL her Department will require to fund the increased RAB charge resulting from the increase to post-2012 loan repayment thresholds in each of the next three financial years.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional funding allocation her Department will receive for each of the next three financial years to fund the increased RAB charge resulting from the increase to post-2012 loan repayment thresholds.

Joseph Johnson: The Government has frozen tuition fees for academic year 2018/19 and for financial year 2018-19 has raised both the repayment threshold and the thresholds at which variable interest rates apply to borrowers in repayment. The repayment threshold will rise from £21,000 to £25,000 for the 2018-19 financial year (from 6 April 2018). Following the threshold change, interest will be charged at RPI for those earning below £25,000 (compared to £21,000 before) and at RPI+3% for those earning above £45,000 (compared to £41,000 before), with interest applied on a sliding scale for those earning between those two thresholds. The long-term cost of the student loan system is reflected in the Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) Charge, which measures the proportion of loan outlay that we expect not to be repaid when future repayments are valued in present terms. In each of the financial years (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20, the RAB charge for higher education loans is expected to change from around 30% under the previous policy to between 40% and 45% under the new policy. The allocated budget for RAB expenditure forms part of the total resource departmental expenditure limit. It is disclosed within the depreciation figure set out within the annual report and accounts. In the 2016-17 annual report and accounts, this was forecast to be £3.5bn for 2017-18, £3.9bn for 2018-19 and £4.3bn in 2019-20. As in prior years, the 2017-18 budget and future budgets will be reviewed as part of the annual Estimates process and confirmed in the published Estimates documents. The cost of the system is a conscious investment in young people. It is the policy subsidy required to make higher and further education widely available, achieving the Government’s objectives of increasing the skills in the economy and ensuring access to university for all with the potential to benefit.

Education: Private Sector

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what monitoring and scrutiny of student recruitment agents for private Higher Education and Further Education providers her Department undertakes.

Joseph Johnson: All higher and further education providers are accountable for their respective recruitment practices. If those breach the respective conditions for funding then a consequence may be regulatory sanctions or termination of their contract. Providers are subject to robust regular monitoring for standards for quality, financial sustainability and management and governance.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what safeguards her Department proposes that the Office for Students should implement to prevent the abuse of student loan funding by private higher education providers in respect of new private providers who will be eligible to offer courses under the provisions of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions Ministers or officials of her Department have had with the Chief Executive of the Student Loans Company on protections for higher education students enrolled with private providers.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Academies: Children in Care

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 112004, how many of the 14 requests for direct admission to an academy relating to a looked-after child were granted.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I refer the hon. Member for Sefton Central to the answer I gave on 20 November 2017 to 112985: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=112985.

Mothers: Prisoners

Mrs Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effect of maternal imprisonment on a child's emotional development; and if she will make a statement.

Mrs Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on steps to reduce the number of children separated from their mothers and families through maternal imprisonment.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Custody should be a last resort and only imposed after the court has considered alternative sentences to be served in the community. We are committed to making sure that as many women as possible are effectively rehabilitated in the community to better protect the public and deliver better outcomes for female offenders.This department has not made any assessment of the effect of maternal imprisonment on a child’s emotional development. However, the government has funded a contract worth over £1.4m for Barnardo’s to operate the i-HOP service to share evidence on practice and advise commissioners and practitioners on the options available to support the families of offenders.

Department for Education: Brexit

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what contingency funding her Department has allocated in relation to the Government's negotiations on the UK leaving the EU for the  (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20 financial years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Like all departments, the Secretary of State for Education is planning for a number of EU Exit scenarios to make sure we are ready on Day 1.We have reprioritised during this financial year as necessary, whilst the costs of EU Exit in 2018-19 and 2019-20 will be affected by negotiations over the coming months.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

Ian Blackford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish its review on convergence uplift payments to Scottish farmers.

George Eustice: The Secretary of State received a letter from the member for Dumfries and Galloway requesting a review of intra-UK allocations of funding for agricultural support on 26 October.The Secretary of State also met Scottish Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing, on 6 November to discuss intra-UK allocations. We will set out next steps in due course.

Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order 2011

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to publish its post-implementation review of the Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order 2011, following the consultation on the review of that order that closed on 27 October 2016.

George Eustice: Defra will publish the post implementation review (PIR) of the Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order (NCMPAO) 2011 following clearance of the PIR report by the Regulatory Policy Committee and the Draft Statutory Review Report by the Reducing Regulatory Sub-Committee.

Animal Welfare: Eastbourne

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many animal cruelty offences and convictions have taken place in Eastbourne in each of the last three years.

George Eustice: The number of offenders found guilty of offences under Sections 4 to 8 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, in the Sussex Police Force area, from 2014 to 2016, can be viewed in the table. (1)(2)(3) Force / Local Justice Area201420152016Proceeded againstFound guiltyProceeded againstFound guiltyProceeded againstFound guiltySussex2017118127of which   Sussex (Eastern) Local Justice Area (4)754231 (1) Defined as SS4-8 Animal Welfare Act 2006 (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Includes offences in Eastbourne Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Britvic: Norwich

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received from (a) Britvic and (b) recognised trades unions at Britvic on potential job losses at the Norwich site.

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on operations at Britvic in (a) Norwich and (b) the UK.

George Eustice: Britvic is part of our dynamic and world-class food and drink industry and is investing £240 million in their manufacturing operations in the UK. Officials at Defra have been in contact with Britvic, who have indicated that the proposal to transfer production from their current Norwich site is to consolidate their manufacturing operations. Britvic is in the process of consulting on the proposals with elected employee representatives and, therefore, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment at this time. We know that this is an uncertain time for Britvic workers affected by the news and we will be working with the company to ensure that employees receive appropriate support.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

George Eustice: In Defra, Wellbeing is covered under a wider safety, health and wellbeing function, recognising the legal obligations to minimise work-related risks to both physical and psychological health. Current focus is on implementing actions under the new Civil Service Priorities for Health and Wellbeing which are to: Provide visible leadership for health and wellbeingEncourage an open dialogue leading to action on mental healthPromote the benefits of a healthy lifestylePromote national wellbeing campaignsSupport people to stay at work or return to work Collaborative working across the Defra group is already established between the Safety, Health and Wellbeing team and HR Diversity colleagues on issues such as workplace adjustments and mental health where steps are being taken to improve related services or procedures, employee awareness and line management capability. Defra has an established wellbeing programme focuses on both physical and mental wellbeing. For example we run an annual health kiosk programme providing access to basic physical health checks such as blood pressure and BMI. We also have an employee led ‘break the stigma’ buddy group, an Employee Assistance programme which includes manager coaching services, and transparency and openness on mental health matters via leadership and employee blogs. The Permanent Secretary has employee wellbeing as a personal objective and makes a commitment to employee wellbeing whilst signing the Defra H&S Policy annually.

Agriculture: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the future of farm subsidies after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The Secretary of State met Fergus Ewing, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Lesley Griffiths, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, and Noel Lavery, the Permanent Secretary in the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland, on 6 November to discuss future agriculture policy. Ministers have held regular meetings with all devolved administrations over the past year.

Environment Agency: Inland Waterways

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential benefits to waterways management of the proposals by the Inland Waterways Association to transfer management of the waterways from the Environment Agency to the Canal and River Trust.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra has not received proposals from the Inland Waterways Association for the transfer of the management of the waterways from the Environment Agency to the Canal and River Trust.

Waste Management

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Local Government Association and individual local authorities on their progress on waste minimisation.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 17 November 2017.The correct answer should have been:

Surveys for black grouse are generally carried out at country level, but vary in frequency and sampling methods. It is therefore not possible to provide estimates at the UK level for the last five years. The last comprehensive survey of the black grouse population was undertaken in 2005, which estimated there were approximately 5100 breeding pairs in Great Britain. In 2016 a formal estimate of the black grouse population in Great Britain was produced by several UK conservation bodies drawing on the data produced by country level surveys and using the International Union for Conservation of Nature methodology. The 2016 population of black grouse was estimated to be 5775 males (or breeding pairs). I and Defra officials regularly meet with representatives of the Local Government Association and individual local authorities to discuss issues relating to household waste management. These discussions encompass actions taken across the entire waste hierarchy, including waste minimisation.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Surveys for black grouse are generally carried out at country level, but vary in frequency and sampling methods. It is therefore not possible to provide estimates at the UK level for the last five years. The last comprehensive survey of the black grouse population was undertaken in 2005, which estimated there were approximately 5100 breeding pairs in Great Britain. In 2016 a formal estimate of the black grouse population in Great Britain was produced by several UK conservation bodies drawing on the data produced by country level surveys and using the International Union for Conservation of Nature methodology. The 2016 population of black grouse was estimated to be 5775 males (or breeding pairs). I and Defra officials regularly meet with representatives of the Local Government Association and individual local authorities to discuss issues relating to household waste management. These discussions encompass actions taken across the entire waste hierarchy, including waste minimisation.

Fisheries: Scotland

David Duguid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to meet representatives of the fishing industry in north-east Scotland to discuss fisheries policy after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The Secretary of State visited Aberdeen on 15 September where he met representatives of the fishing industry to discuss fisheries policy. Ministers and officials will continue to meet organisations and individuals across the UK to discuss fisheries policy, including representatives of the fishing industry in north-east Scotland.

Incinerators: Air Pollution

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the opening of additional incinerators on (a) UK air quality and (b) the level of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from such new plants.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: As part of the environmental permitting process for new incinerator plants, the regulator is required to make an assessment of the environmental impact of each site and to set limit values in the environmental permit for emissions to air of a wide range of key pollutants. These atmospheric emissions are subject to a strict monitoring regime. The emissions of individual incinerators can be found using the following link: http://naei.beis.gov.uk/data/map-large-source. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) of a waste incineration plant is assessed as part of the permitting process undertaken by the regulator, taking into account emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as nitrous oxide. The regulator assesses the equivalent amount of CO2 that the plant will emit against the European standards to ensure that the plant is using best available techniques to minimise GWP. If issued, permits will contain a requirement for the operator to review opportunities for improving energy efficiency at least every four years and thereby reduce CO2 emissions where possible.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidences of bovine tuberculosis there have been in the UK in the last two months.

George Eustice: Bovine TB statistics for England, Wales and Scotland are published monthly and can be found on the GOV.UK website. However, incidence rates for the last two months are not yet available since data for England, Wales and Scotland is published three months in arrears and data for Northern Ireland is published two months in arrears.

Agriculture: Scotland

Mr Alister Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions officials of his Department have had with officials from the Scottish Government on UK common agricultural frameworks after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Alister Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Scottish Government on designing a new agricultural subsidy system for Scotland after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: Ministers and officials are in regular discussion with their Scottish counterparts on future agriculture policy after the UK leaves the EU. Meetings were held over the summer between Defra and Scottish Government officials, along with their counterparts from Wales and Northern Ireland, on UK common agricultural frameworks. Further discussions have taken place on 14 and 15 November. The Secretary of State met Fergus Ewing, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, on 6 November to discuss future agricultural policy, along with Lesley Griffiths, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs and Noel Lavery, the Permanent Secretary in the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland. The Government is committed to delivering an approach that works for the whole of the UK and reflects the needs and individual circumstances of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Squirrels

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) red and (b) grey squirrels there are in the UK (i) now and were (ii) in 2007.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Forestry Commission estimates that there are 15,000 red squirrels in England and over two million grey squirrels. The red squirrel population is fragmented, occurring only in isolated populations on the islands in Poole Harbour, on the Isle of Wight and across the north of England with Kielder Forest, in Northumberland, supporting around 60% of the total population. This estimate dates from 2014 and no more recent data is available. There is no data available for red and grey squirrel numbers in England for 2007. Wildlife is a devolved policy matter.

Animal Breeding

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the devolved administrations on animal breeding and vending.

George Eustice: Defra has kept the Devolved Administrations of Wales and Scotland informed of our proposals for replacing the existing laws, as they apply to England, on dog breeding and pet vending.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency funding his Department has allocated in relation to the Government's negotiations on the UK leaving the EU for the (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20 financial years.

George Eustice: Like all departments, Defra is planning for a number of scenarios for the UK’s departure from the EU to make sure we are ready on Day 1. Over £250m of additional funding has been approved across a number of departments in 2017/18 to prepare for Brexit. Defra has received additional funding this year, and has reprioritised to meet new pressures arising from Brexit preparations. The additional funding received from the Reserve for 2017/8 will be set out at Supplementary Estimates. The costs of EU Exit in 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years will be affected by negotiations over the coming months and will be agreed with HM Treasury in early 2018.

Horticulture: Peat

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to increase the use of peat replacement products for professional and amateur horticulture.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is committed to continuing to work with the industry to make the transition to peat alternatives and to overcome the barriers to their use. For example, we are jointly funding research with the industry, which includes commercial scale demonstration trials, to overcome barriers to peat replacement in professional horticulture. We have also worked with the industry to develop a Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media which allows manufacturers and retailers to make informed choices on growing media inputs to amateur/retail products, based on environmental and social impacts. We are continuing to support the industry as they put this scheme into practice.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Social Media

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people have signed up to receive his Department's UK-Air email updates; and what the average engagement rate is for Tweets made from the @DefraUKAir Twitter account.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There are currently 309 subscribers to the UK-Air email bulletin service. The UK-Air Twitter account currently has 6,697 followers. The average engagement rate for Tweets made from the Defra UK-Air Twitter account between 1 November 2016 and 31 October 2017 was 0.7%. A five day forecast of predicted air pollution levels is continually updated on the UK-Air website, along with advice from Public Health England to allow members of the public, particularly those who are most likely to be affected by air pollution, to plan and take action. Defra also issues email alerts to the health charity network during periods of elevated air pollution. These alerts provide full details of the nature of the air pollution episode along with links to further information, including specific health advice relevant to the episode.

Radiation Exposure

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the UK environment of recent reports of radioactive pollution, including traces of ruthenium 106 detected in France, spreading from Eastern Europe.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency has worked with partners, in particular Public Health England who operate air monitoring equipment in the UK, to assess any effects on the environment. Air monitoring has not detected any elevated levels of ruthenium 106. Therefore there is no indication of any effects on the environment in the UK.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate he has made of the number of staff in his Department with expertise on gender and trade.

Mr Steve Baker: The information you have requested is not held centrally therefore we are not in a position to provide this for particular groups of staff. The Department for Exiting the European Union is drawing together expertise from a wide range of departments where there is specific relevant knowledge. The Department has sourced a large proportion of experienced staff from across Whitehall on a loan basis and a number of secondees from the private sector and the wider public sector. All departments are equipping themselves with the resources they need to get the best deal for the UK.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's publication Ministerial hospitality, April to June 2017, published on 13 October 2017, whether (a) representatives or employees of the firm which offered that hospitality and (b) lobbyists or contractors of those firms were present at those events.

Mr Steve Baker: Ministers from the Department for Exiting the European Union support a large number of events and meet with many representatives. Information on the specific attendees at events attended by ministers is not centrally held.

EU Law

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 110712, on EU law, what representations he has had from business organisations on the importance of regulatory alignment to the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government is committed to the best possible deal for the United Kingdom - a deal that works for businesses and all parts of the UK. Stakeholder engagement is a central element of our plan and the Government has conducted a wealth of engagement with representative organisations, both in the UK and most recently at a roundtable for leaders of Europe’s key business organisations. We continue to take their suggestions into account, including on the subject of regulatory alignment.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the effect of EU rules of origin on UK motor manufacturing after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government wants to see zero tariffs on trade in goods, frictionless trade and to minimise the regulatory and market access barriers for both goods and services. The role of preferential or non-preferential Rules of Origin in any deal, and our approach to minimising administration and friction, will depend on the precise nature of the agreement between the UK and the EU. We have been working closely with stakeholders in various sectors, including the automotive sector, to understand the needs of UK industry. Ministers have met with a variety of automotive companies and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

Mr Steve Baker: The Civil Service has set out five priorities for the health and wellbeing of its employees, including priorities in relation to physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, the Civil Service has also committed to being a leading employer on mental health support, in line with the recommendations set out in the recently published independent review Thriving At Work. Health and Wellbeing forms part of the Department for Exiting the European Union commitment to making the Department a great place to work. The Department has a dedicated mental health and wellbeing group who have been leading on a number of wellbeing activities across the Department to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of staff employed in the Department. This includes: In February 2017 the Department signed up to the Time for Change pledge to demonstrate the Departments commitment to reducing the stigma attached to mental health.To date 32 DExEU staff have been trained by Mental Health First Aid England as mental health champions.Marking world mental health day with a panel discussion sharing mental health and wellbeing experiences.Running a diversity week, which included a self-defence class and a session with tips on how to look after each other.

Chemicals: Industry

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the joint statement from the European Chemical Industry Council and the Chemical Industries Association published on 15 November 2017, what assessment he has made of the effect on the chemicals industry when the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Steve Baker: As part of our work preparing to make a success of our departure from the European Union we are undertaking a broad range of sectoral analysis covering the entirety of the UK economy, including the chemicals industry. The Government is committed to the best possible deal for the United Kingdom - a deal that works for the entirety of the UK economy. We have been engaging with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy in order to inform our negotiations with the EU. On 17th November 2016 government officials attended the Chemical Industries Association Conference and on 6th November 2017 I met with CIA representatives to further understand the opportunities and challenges for the chemicals sector as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU. The UK chemicals sector is a strategically important industry for our country. In the UK, we are global leaders, and we are determined that we continue to be world-leading in this space.

Attorney General

Companies: Ownership

Catherine West: To ask the Attorney General, how many times the Serious Fraud Office has requested beneficial ownership information from registers of beneficial ownership from the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies since 1 July 2017.

Jeremy Wright: The SFO does request information from the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies as well as other overseas partners in relation to its ongoing investigations. However, for operational reasons the SFO does not provide details of such requests as it could prejudice the conduct of those investigations.

Companies: Ownership

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Attorney General, how many times the Serious Fraud Office has requested beneficial ownership information from each register of beneficial ownership from the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies since 1 July 2017.

Jeremy Wright: The SFO does request information from the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies as well as other overseas partners in relation to its ongoing investigations. However, for operational reasons the SFO does not provide details of such requests as it could prejudice the conduct of those investigations.

Wales Office

Valuation Office Agency: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111902, what the most recent meeting was that he has had with either UK Government or Welsh Government ministers on Valuation Office closures in Wales; what the date of that meeting was; who attended that meeting; and whether there were any actionable outcomes as a result of that meeting.

Alun Cairns: My officials were in contact with the agency, most recently last week, to carry forward discussions about the Valuation Office Agency’s plans for Wales. Ministers here will meet with the Financial Secretary to the Treasury shortly to discuss the plans further.

Economic Situation: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will have discussions with the Department for Exiting the European Union on conducting an assessment of the potential outcomes of the UK's negotiations with the EU on the Welsh economy.

Alun Cairns: I hold regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, on a range of issues, including the impact of EU exit on Wales. The Department for Exiting the European Union, working with officials across Government, including the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, is undertaking a wide range of analysis covering the entirety of the UK economy, including Wales, to support the negotiations.

Economic Situation: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 111256, on economic situation: Wales, what the outcome of the economic analysis has been to date.

Alun Cairns: The Government is committed to the best possible deal for the United Kingdom; a deal that works for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all parts of England. It is not standard practice to provide an ongoing commentary on internal analytical work that is being carried out within government. We have also been very clear that we must not publish material that could undermine the UK position in the negotiations.

Economic Situation: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the Government's sectoral analysis of 58 sectors of the economy, what assessment he has made of that analysis with regard to the effect on the Welsh economy of the UK leaving the EU.

Alun Cairns: The Department for Exiting the European Union, working with officials across Government, including the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, is undertaking a wide range of analysis covering the entirety of the UK economy, including Wales, to support the negotiations. It is not standard practice to provide an ongoing commentary on internal analytical work that is being carried out within government. We have also been very clear that we must not publish material that could undermine the UK position in the negotiations. The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales will continue to work with other Government departments, my expert panel of stakeholders, the Welsh Government, and the National Assembly for Wales, to support the Welsh economy and promote a prosperous Wales within a strong United Kingdom.

Economic Situation: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether his Department has carried out or contributed to any quantitative analysis that provides an evidential basis for the UK leaving the EU being of benefit to the Welsh economy.

Alun Cairns: The Department for Exiting the European Union, working with officials across Government, including the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, is undertaking a wide range of analysis covering the entirety of the UK economy, including Wales, to support the negotiations. It is not standard practice to provide an ongoing commentary on internal analytical work that is being carried out within government. We have also been very clear that we must not publish material that could undermine the UK position in the negotiations. The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales will continue to work with other Government departments, my expert panel of stakeholders, the Welsh Government, and the National Assembly for Wales, to support the Welsh economy and promote a prosperous Wales within a strong United Kingdom.

Employment: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many jobs he estimates could be (a) lost and (b) gained in Wales in the event of there being no deal at the end of UK negotiations to exit the EU.

Alun Cairns: The Department for Exiting the European Union, working with officials across Government, including the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, is undertaking a wide range of analysis covering the entirety of the UK economy, including Wales, to support the negotiations. It is not standard practice to provide an ongoing commentary on internal analytical work that is being carried out within government. We have also been very clear that we must not publish material that could undermine the UK position in the negotiations. We want our future relationship with the EU to be a deep and special partnership, taking in both economic and security cooperation. We are confident that a future partnership between the UK and EU is in the interests of both sides, so we approach these negotiations anticipating success. We do not want or expect a no deal outcome. However, we have a duty to plan for an alternative to the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Aid Scheme: Charities

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many not-for-profit providers completed legal aid work in (a) total and (b) in each region in each year since 2010.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much legal aid funding has been spent on not-for-profit providers completing legal aid work in (a) total and (b) each region in each year since 2010.

Dominic Raab: The information requested is shown in the two tables at Annex A. Figures are based on provider offices, with the location of each office used for the regional breakdown. The list of not-for-profit organisations are those as at June 2017. Work carried out via the Civil Legal Advice telephone service is not included. Figures for 2011/12 onwards are published at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-january-to-march-2017 



Annex A
(Excel SpreadSheet, 13.31 KB)

Young Offender Institutions

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral evidence given to the Justice Committee on 7 November 2017, HC 419, what information his Department holds on contractual performance relating to (a) education provision, (b) levels of activity, (c) time out of cell and (d) any other measures recorded for the youth custodial estate in each year since 2010.

Dr Phillip Lee: In the youth custodial estate three establishments are currently operated by providers under contract: Parc Youth Offending Institution (YOI), Oakhill Secure Training Centre (STC) and Rainsbrook (STC). HMPPS took over the running of Medway STC in May 2016. Education provision In both STCs and the private sector YOI, the contractual expectation is that young people spend 25 hours in education. Performance against this measure is set out below. Table 1: The number of hours expressed as an average per young person per week of taught education and vocational training delivered in contracted STC and private YOI, in each calendar year for 2010 to 2017. Year ending December 20102011201220132014201520162017Secure Training Centre (STC)Medway(1)24.8424.5424.8224.9024.9724.8824.93N/A(1)Oakhill24.9124.9024.9624.9724.8624.7524.6324.48Rainsbrook24.6724.7724.8524.7724.8424.8824.8726.09All STC(2)24.8024.7424.8824.8824.8824.8424.7525.17Private Young Offenders Institution (Private YOI)Parc22.9725.2725.4523.2325.7923.5223.3624.47All Private YOI22.9725.2725.4523.2325.7923.5223.3624.47 Notes:Data for Medway STC is up to May 2016. This is when the centre transferred from being a contracted service to HMPPS.Data for Oakhill and Rainsbrook STCs is up to May 2017.For Parc YOI the data for 2017 cover the nine months from January to September.This information is drawn from operational management information. Time out of cell The expectation in STCs is that young people will be unlocked for 14 hours per day. At Parc YOI the expectation depends on the young person’s Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) level. IEP is set against behaviour and can range from 9 to 12 hours during the week and between 7.75 and 10.75 hours at the weekend. The table below shows the average number of hours a young person spent unlocked from their room. Table 2: The number of hour’s young people spent unlocked from their room expressed as an average per day in contracted STC and private YOI in each calendar year from 2010 to 2017. 20102011201220132014201520162017Secure Training Centre (STC)(1)Medway14.0314.0014.0113.9614.0014.0013.9913.97Oakhill(2)12.8413.9913.9913.9913.9313.9213.8613.64Rainsbrook13.7513.8814.2312.7913.9213.9713.5512.38All STC13.5213.9514.0813.5813.9513.9613.7513.38Private Young Offenders Institution (Private YOI)Parc(3)10.1411.0310.7810.9310.6510.019.1610.07All Private YOI10.1411.0310.7810.9310.6510.019.1610.07 Notes:Data for contracted STCs is available up to May 2017.Data for Oakhill 2014 is an 11 month average due to a data reporting issue.For Parc YOI the data for 2017 covers the nine months from January to September.This data has been taken from data submitted each month by secure establishments via the YJB’s Youth Justice Application Framework (YJAF) database. General notes:Administrative databases; All data above has been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time. Other Activity As well as education (which can take the form of classroom based education, vocational training and Physical Education) young people may also receive a range of other interventions based on their specific needs, for example, a young person may require specialist mental health or speech and language support to enable learning and improve behaviour. Young people may also participate in enrichment activities at evenings and weekends. Other measures recorded for the youth custodial estateA broad range of data is collected from establishments to inform commercial, commissioning and performance management processes. These measures do not necessary relate to commissioned targets, but offer an indication on how a particular service is operating. The Youth Justice Annual Statistics document provides further data and information relating to the youth custodial estate. This document is a snapshot of the cohort and describes its characteristics. For example, it provides data on the average population of young people in custody in the youth secure estate, both remanded and sentenced as well as the average time spent in custody. The document can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/youth-justice-statistics.

Prisons

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral evidence by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice to the Justice Committee on 7 November 2017, HC 419, if he will place in the Library the maps that show the location of (a) youth justice institutions and (b) women's prisons in relation to centres of population.

Dr Phillip Lee: I have placed in the House Library, maps that show the location of sites that hold young people in custody and for women’s prisons for which the Ministry of Justice is responsible.

Prison Officers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) number and (b) benchmark target of prison officers has been for the 10 prisons deemed to be of serious concern in the Prison Annual Performance Ratings 2016-17 in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The information requested is shown in the tables below. HMP Birmingham was not benchmarked. Table 1a: The number of Band 3-5 prison officers (FTE) in post, as at 31 March 2010 to 31 March 2017Name31/03/201031/03/201131/03/201231/03/201331/03/201431/03/201531/03/201631/03/2017Bedford136141140146130126137115Bristol192194186204159163143165Brixton211204192156142141142131Guys Marsh125126124134121113118118Hindley246255247232171206140142Liverpool376338300290262251245280Pentonville378362347341276268253275Wandsworth424414385347306275271270Wormwood Scrubs305309315303256239248243Table 1b: Benchmark target of band 3-5 prison officers (FTE), as at 30 April 2010 to 30 April 2017Name30/04/201030/04/201130/04/201230/04/201330/04/201430/04/201530/04/201630/04/2017Bedford………136136141141144Bristol………155155155155154Brixton………142142152158162Guys Marsh………124124124125123Hindley…………0138141153Liverpool………232232254256275Pentonville………247247264274273Wandsworth………289289293296296Wormwood Scrubs………240240266264256Notes:1. Benchmark targets include small temporary additions allocated to the establishment at the relevant date.2. Benchmark targets have been rounded to the nearest whole number.Benchmark implementation took place from 2013 onwards, starting with Local and Cat C prisons and other category prisons from 2015.… denotes not available.

Prisons: Staff

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to increase the number of prison governor and managerial level staff at pay bands seven to 11 in each of the next two years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Government is already taking action to ensure that all prisons are staffed appropriately at all levels to ensure that they are safe. We are on target to recruit an additional 2500 Prison Officers by December 2018 to improve safety and offender management in custody. We have also introduced new schemes to attract top graduates and former servicemen and women into the service as well as new schemes to move talented internal candidates into managerial roles. HMPPS has recently changed the internal assessment processes for Head of Function roles (Band 7 and Band 8 staff) to speed up the selection processes. Since this change over 70 staff are now accredited to take up Head of Function roles. There are planned internal assessments throughout 2018 to be able to meet demand. There are also plans to reinvigorate the selection processes for Governor posts (at Bands 10 and 11) which will again run through 2018 to meet demand. Since April 2017 Governors have been empowered to manage workforce planning locally and use this flexibility to set their own staffing arrangements.

Legal Aid Scheme

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of restoring early legal advice on the number of cases awaiting a hearing in the courts.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment the Government has made of the effect on the courts system of the number of cases escalating into court disputes as a result of withdrawal of early legal advice.

Dominic Raab: Last year we spent £1.6bn on legal aid, just under a quarter of the Ministry of Justice’s budget. Maintaining access to justice remains absolutely vital and continues to be at the heart of our reforms.On 30 October, the Lord Chancellor announced the post-implementation review of the legal aid changes made by, and following, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. The review will consider the effect of the major changes to legal aid fees made by LASPO as well as amendments made subsequently as part of the ‘Legal Aid Transformation’ programme.

Prisons: Staff

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total number of full-time equivalent staff at governor and managerial level at pay bands seven to 11 was in the prison estate in each year since 2010.

Dr Phillip Lee: The number of full-time equivalent managerial staff in post, in Public Sector Prisons, as at 31 March 2010 to 30 June 2017, is as follows: Band 6-11 Non operationalBand 7-9 OperationalBands 10-11 OperationalGovernors (Band 9-11)Total31/03/20101,63388912412,76431/03/20111,52691622402,68431/03/20121,17980222112,19431/03/201385474912241,82831/03/201481572502141,75431/03/201574666902131,62931/03/201659466802071,46931/03/201762864502011,47430/06/201764062801981,466 Notes:Bands 6-11 and Governor grades have been presented, as these are the bands which most closely align to pay bands 7 to 11.Governors include data for Deputy GovernorsManagerial staff include both Operational and Non-Operational StaffThe figures cover all staff working in prison establishments.The current band structure was introduced in April 2012. Data for earlier periods and staff still working under the old structures post 2012 relates to equivalent grades in the previous pay and grading structure.

Alternatives to Prison

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans the Government has to extend to other areas intensive alternatives to Custody programmes such as the scheme piloted in Greater Manchester as an alternative to short custodial sentences.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The courts already have the flexibility to select a range of requirements which are both a robust alternative to custody and provide opportunities to address the specific issues which contribute to a risk of re-offending. Courts may select particular requirements to deal with an individual offender, or authorise a bespoke package such as the Intensive Community Order provided by the local Community Rehabilitation Company in Greater Manchester.

Long Lartin Prison

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on managing the incident at HMP Long Lartin in October 2017 the difference between (a) actual staffing levels and (b) benchmark staffing targets at that prison.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The concerted indiscipline that took place at HMP Long Lartin on 11 October is currently subject to an ongoing internal HMPPS investigation. This will establish the facts in relation to this incident and any identifiable cause or contributory factor.

Prisons: Construction

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of using private finance for the building of new prisons.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We will modernise the prison estate, closing older prisons that are not fit for purpose and creating in their place high-quality, modern establishments. This will help deliver prisons that are more safe and secure, so our staff can work more closely with offenders to change their lives and turn their back on crime for good. No decisions have been made as to whether there is a role for private finance in the building of any new prisons in England and Wales.

Medway Secure Training Centre

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what amounts were paid to G4S in relation to Medway Secure Centre outside of amounts agreed in the initial contract.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value was of the (a) initial contract when agreed and (b) total lifetime value of the contract with G4S relating to Medway Secure Centre up to its termination.

Dr Phillip Lee: The original 15 year contract commenced in 1998 for the design, build, finance and operation of a 40-bed Secure Training Centre at Medway had a projected total value of £109.5 million.The operator at Medway STC was initially Rebound ECD ltd a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Solutions Limited. Global Solutions Limited was acquired by G4S in 2008 at which point G4S became the operator.In 2002 the contractual capacity was increased to 76 places and extended for three years beyond the original planned contract length. Indexation rates, which determine the variable element of the contract price, also impacted on the costs, compared with the original, standard indexation projections. The total lifetime value of payments made under the 18 year extended contract between 1998 and 2016 was therefore increased to £210.3 million. The changes made to the contract prevent direct comparisons between the original contract value and the eventual whole life spend. No payments were made to G4S as the operator of Medway outside of contractual agreements.

Civil Proceedings: Compensation

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support the principle of 100 per cent compensation in civil justice cases.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Government is committed to the principle that people injured through the negligence of others should receive full and fair compensation.On 7 September, the Ministry of Justice published and invited comments on draft legislation that would change the way in which the personal injury discount rate set by the Lord Chancellor for England and Wales under section 1 of the Damages Act 1996 is set.The changes would create a better and fairer framework for the setting of the rate and would better support the 100% compensation rule by providing a more accurate estimate of the return to be expected on investments. The Justice Select Committee is conducting a pre-legislative scrutiny inquiry into the draft legislation.

Youth Justice

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to tender contracts to private companies for the provision of youth justice services.

Dr Phillip Lee: The safety and welfare of young people held in custody is our highest priority. Across the youth estate, we have been clear that a safe, decent, environment needs to be created to ensure effective rehabilitation. That is why we have a specific programme dedicated to youth justice reform and the Department is investing £64 million to reform youth custody, to enhance safety and improve outcomes for young people in our establishments. The Government is committed to procuring youth justice services through open and fair competition to obtain quality outcomes and value for money for all young people whether in custody or being supervised in the community. Future contracts will continue to be commissioned from Public, Private and Third Sector organisations to secure the best services available within agreed financial limits. All sectors have a key role to play in delivering services across the Youth Justice Systems and it is essential we seek the highest levels of expertise when new contracted services are commissioned.

Prisoners' Release: Housing

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on plans to increase housing available for women leaving prison.

Dr Phillip Lee: Making sure that we address female offenders’ housing and support needs is a priority, at a national and local level, given the link between homelessness and re-offending. I recently met with the Minister for Local Government to discuss how we can work together to better support the housing needs of female offenders. We will continue to work together on this important issue. In cooperation with Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), we are making Prisons and Probation providers subject to a new duty to refer. This requires specified public authorities in England to notify the local housing authority of service users they think may be homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Prisoners' Release: Mothers

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking, through community-based services, to help reunite mothers with their children after imprisonment.

Dr Phillip Lee: Families, and children, can play a significant role in supporting an offender and positive family relationships are an important factor in reducing reoffending. To improve the support for prisoners and their families we have:Funded a contract worth over £1.4m for Barnardo’s to operate the i-HOP service - an England wide one-stop information service for all professionals who come into contact with the children and families of offenders - to share evidence on practice and advise commissioners and practitioners on the options available to support the families of offenders.Given prison governors the budget and flexibility to spend their resources as they see fit to help prisoners establish or maintain important family and significant other ties in advance of their eventual release from prison.Awarded a new contract for family services across the female estate in October 2017, allowing women’s prisons to work closely with a single professional family services provider, to develop innovative services including those to support mothers in preparing for their release and reuniting with children. We are also investing £1million seed funding between 2015 and 2020 to help local areas develop improved, multi-agency approaches to female offenders and women who are at risk of offending. This approach aims to bring together and improve services at each stage of the criminal justice system and address a broad range of needs. Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) are required to deliver Through-the-Gate services to female prisoners to help them resettle in the community. These should be tailored to the particular needs of offenders.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to publish the outcome of the Ogden discount rate consultation.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The personal injury discount rate set by the Lord Chancellor for England and Wales under section 1 of the Damages Act 1996 was reduced from 2.5% to minus 0.75% on 20 March following a review. The Lord Chancellor is required by law to make sure the rate is not inappropriate. On 7 September, the Ministry of Justice published and invited comments on draft legislation that would change the way in which the discount rate is set. The Justice Select Committee is conducting a pre-legislative scrutiny inquiry into the draft legislation. The Government will respond to the Committee’s conclusions and other comments received on the draft legislation within two months of the publication of the Committee’s report.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to (a) the public purse and (b) insurance companies was of the Ogden rate change of March 2017.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The personal injury discount rate set by the Lord Chancellor for England and Wales under section 1 of the Damages Act 1996 was reduced from 2.5% to minus 0.75% on 20 March following a review. The impact on the public sector of the change to the rate in March is estimated at £1.2bn per annum. The Government has not made an estimate of the overall impact on the insurance industry. However, the Office for Budget Responsibility’s economic and fiscal outlook in March 2017 indicated that the Prudential Regulation Authority estimated as at 27 February 2017 (the date of the Lord Chancellor’s announcement of the forthcoming change to the rate) that the cost to insurers would be around £2 billion a year, albeit with a wide range of uncertainty around that figure.

Ministry of Justice: Working Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.

Dr Phillip Lee: The wellbeing of all MoJ staff is a priority and is reflected in our values. The staff wellbeing strategy that MoJ launched in 2015 focuses on primary causes of sickness absence, physical and mental. A separate staff mental health strategy and action plan was published this year, which aims to support staff and tackle the stigma surrounding mental health. This is supported by our Senior Health and Wellbeing and Disability Champions and a network of voluntary wellbeing champions across MoJ. MoJ has a comprehensive employee wellbeing offer which is supported by our Occupational Health provider and our Employee Assistance Programme including an advisory and counselling telephony service which is available 24/7, 365 days a year. All wellbeing information is accessible to MoJ staff via our designated wellbeing intranet pages. MoJ also participates in local, national and international wellbeing campaigns to raise awareness of good physical and mental health. MoJ regularly reviews its wellbeing offering to ensure that it continues to offer the best support to employees.

Prisons: Staff

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison staff have completed suicide awareness training in each of the last three years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: All staff in contact with prisoners are required to receive training on suicide and self-harm prevention. We have recently revised the content of the training, and we are now rolling out a new ‘Introduction to Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention’ course, comprising six modules, including mental health awareness training. The course is provided as part of the entry level training for new prison officers, and as refresher training for existing staff. Since May 2017 over 1,000 new prison officers have received the training, and over 9,000 existing staff (around 25%) have been trained in at least one of the six modules, with just under 3,000 (8%) completing all six modules. We have set Governors the challenging but achievable target of ensuring that all staff who have contact with prisoners complete all the modules by April 2019. Figures for the completion of the previous version of the training were not collected centrally.

Prisons: Riot Control Weapons

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on the use of the PAVA incapacitant spray in prisons.

Mr Sam Gyimah: PAVA spray is currently available to Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s (HMPPS) National Tactical Response Group (NTRG - specialist national resources) to use tactically during planned interventions to aid the restoration of order and control. In four prisons HMPPS have developed operational pilots to test the impact of issuing PAVA spay to general uniformed prison staff to use reactively when judged necessary. A methodology to test the impact of the introduction of PAVA has been developed. The current NTRG policy and the pilot operational guidance will inform any future policy.

Domestic Violence: Convictions

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many summary convictions there have been for offences under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 for alleged controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship; and how many people subject to those convictions have been (a) fined without being imprisoned or (b) imprisoned for the maximum term of 12 months.

Dominic Raab: In 2016, there were 32 summary convictions for the offence of controlling and coercive behaviour under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015. Of these 32, seven were committed to the Crown Court for sentence.Of the remaining 25 which were sentenced in the magistrates’ court; four were given an immediate custodial sentence and three of these cases received the maximum term available for this offence (six months) as provided under section 86 of the Serious Crime Act 2015. There were no cases where a fine was imposed.These are cases where the coercive and controlling offence was the principal offence. Where a defendant is charged with such an offence alongside another, such as serious sexual assault, the conviction and proceeding would count as a sexual assault offence.

Domestic Violence: Convictions

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions on indictment there have been for offences under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 for alleged controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship; and how many people subject to those convictions have been (a) fined without being imprisoned or (b) imprisoned for the maximum term of five years.

Dominic Raab: In 2016, there were 27 convictions on indictment for the offence of controlling and coercive behaviour under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015. The Crown Court handed down 24 sentences of immediate custody. None of these were for the 5-year maximum. There were no cases where a fine was imposed.These are cases where the coercive and controlling offence was the principal offence. Where a defendant is charged with such an offence alongside another, such as serious sexual assault, the conviction and proceeding would count as a sexual assault offence.

Prisoners

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he plans to take to address the current prison population already being greater than the projected numbers for each year through to 2020.

Mr Sam Gyimah: In August 2017, the Ministry of Justice published its annual Prison Population Projections bulletin 2017 to 2022. As at 10th November the total prison population was 86,163, which is well within our published range for November 2017. Prison numbers can fluctuate, which is why we have a robust set of plans in place to ensure we will always have enough places for offenders committed to custody by the courts. This includes modernising the estate and building new accommodation.

Employment: Discrimination

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many claims of (a) age, (b) disability, (c) race, (d) religion or belief, (e) sex and (f) sexual orientation discrimination were (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful at hearing in each year from 2012-13 to 2016-17.

Dominic Raab: The tables below show the number of Employment Tribunal claims disposed of at hearing, by outcome, for each financial year from April 2012 to March 2017, where the main jurisdiction was a discrimination complaint1. Financial Year April 2012 - March 2013Main Jurisdiction ComplaintSuccessful at hearingUnsuccessful at hearing 2Age discrimination16112Disability discrimination100374Race discrimination54426Religion or belief discrimination1031Sex discrimination104284Sexual orientation discrimination925   Financial Year April 2013 - March 2014Main Jurisdiction ComplaintSuccessful at hearingUnsuccessful at hearing 2Age discrimination1175Disability discrimination100401Race discrimination74381Religion or belief discrimination321Sex discrimination95248Sexual orientation discrimination525   Financial Year April 2014 - March 2015Main Jurisdiction ComplaintSuccessful at hearingUnsuccessful at hearing 2Age discrimination457Disability discrimination87226Race discrimination43230Religion or belief discrimination022Sex discrimination58103Sexual orientation discrimination46   Financial Year April 2015 - March 2016Main Jurisdiction ComplaintSuccessful at hearingUnsuccessful at hearing 2Age discrimination640Disability discrimination67177Race discrimination29163Religion or belief discrimination36Sex discrimination2875Sexual orientation discrimination36   Financial Year April 2016 - March 2017Main Jurisdiction ComplaintSuccessful at hearingUnsuccessful at hearing 2Age discrimination944Disability discrimination69179Race discrimination23133Religion or belief discrimination75Sex discrimination3255Sexual orientation discrimination27 1 A claim can be brought under one or more different jurisdictions, for example under Age discrimination and Equal pay. The table shows the number of claims disposed at hearing where the main jurisdiction is a discrimination jurisdiction.2 Includes "Unsuccessful at hearing" formerly "Dismissed at hearing - Otherwise" and "Dismissed at a preliminary hearing" formerly Dismissed at hearing - Out of scope".Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system and are the best data that are available.

Community Orders

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the implications for his policies are of the decline in the use of community sentences since 2011.

Dominic Raab: Under section 152 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, a court is required, before considering imposing a custodial sentence, to be satisfied that the offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified. In 2016 the independent Sentencing Council issued a guideline on the imposition of community and custodial sentences, to clarify the appropriate circumstances for imposing community sentences, suspended sentence orders and short custodial sentences.

Community Orders

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the decline in the use of community sentences for (a) theft and (b) drugs offences since 2011.

Dominic Raab: Changes in the mix of offences coming to court and the fall in number of defendants appearing before court are key factors in overall decreased numbers of community sentences. As a proportion of prosecutions, the change in community sentences for theft and drug offences since 2011 is similar to the overall change across all offence groups.We have not made any assessment of reasons behind sentencing trends relating to these particular offences.

Legal Aid Scheme

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential benefits of sharing the financial burden of the proposed cut to the Litigator Graduated Fee Scheme across the Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme.

Dominic Raab: At the same time as our announcement to abandon an 8.75% fee cut for litigators, we outlined our targeted plans to address a substantial rise in costs under the Litigators’ Graduated Fee Scheme (LGFS) spent on pages of prosecution evidence (PPE). The element of the fee which is determined by the number of PPE is less of a factor in the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) than it is in the LGFS. This difference reflects the difference in the roles between defence advocates and litigators in the Crown Court. The government also recently consulted on proposals to reform the AGFS on a cost neutral basis. We are carefully considering the responses to this consultation, and will make an announcement in due course.

Supreme Court

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of changes to the operation or administration of the Supreme Court as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

Dominic Raab: There are no plans to make changes to the operation or the administration of the Supreme Court as a result of the UK leaving the EU. We are engaging with both the Supreme Court and the judiciary to ensure that our courts are prepared for any effects of leaving the EU.

Terrorism: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much financial support has been provided to services offering support for families and victims of the Manchester terrorist attack of 2017.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Government is committed to ensuring that victims of terrorist attacks receive the help and support they need. The Ministry of Justice has allocated £96m to funding for services supporting victims of crime in 2017/18, with the majority of funding allocated to Police and Crime Commissioners and some services commissioned nationally. This includes funding for the national Homicide Service which supports families bereaved by murder including terrorism; and for the Peace Foundation which supports victims and families affected by terrorism. The Ministry of Justice has provided an additional £337,000 in 2017/18 to help ensure services provide the best possible support to victims of terrorist attacks, including £79,000 specifically to support services in Manchester. The Government has also established a cross-departmental Victims of Terrorism Unit, to help coordinate support for victims of terrorist attacks including Manchester, across the statutory and voluntary sector and at national and local level. This has included work with local schools to help ensure that children and teachers have support in coping with the attacks, ensuring that payments from charitable fundraising does not affect victims’ income related benefits, and work with local authorities to ensure that best practice is shared and adopted.

Mentally Disordered Offenders

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much funding has been allocated to the Mental Health Casework Section in each year since 2009-10; and how many full-time equivalent staff have been employed by that section in each of those years.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many requests relating to restricted patients were made to the Mental Health Casework Section in each year since 2009-10; and of those requests in each such year how many (a) have been completed and (b) still need to be completed.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the backlog of cases being processed by the Mental Health Casework Section was in each year since 2009-10; and how long on average from the case being logged to the decision being made it took to clear cases on that backlog in each of those years.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of calendar days was from the case being logged to the final decision being made for the Mental Health Casework Section to progress requests for restricted patients to (a) transfer to another hospital, (b) transfer to community care, (c) discharge and (d) recall to hospital in each year since 2009-10.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the letter of 31 October 2017 from the Head of the Mental Health Casework Section (MHCS) on delays in mental health casework decisions;, how many (a) backlog cases and (b) critical work cases for restricted patients have been cleared by the MHCS in each month since April 2016.

Dr Phillip Lee: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (formerly known as the National Offender Management Service) has not recorded centrally all the funding allocated to of the Mental Health Casework Section (MHCS) in each year since 2009/10. Information on the number of full time equivalent staff within this unit over those years is also not recorded centrally. There is no legal or business requirement for the Department to hold such information on a separate basis. For 2017/18, the full time equivalent headcount for MHCS is 58, with 11 positions currently vacant, pending completion of the recruitment processes  The numbers of requests relating to restricted patients that were made to MHCS each year from 2009/10 are set out in the table below. It is not possible retrospectively to ascertain how many requests were completed in-year for each year. The number of current outstanding requests in 2017/18 is set out in the table below. These figures include requests received up to and including 14 November 2017. “Request” has been taken to mean any application for a decision by the Secretary of State under the Mental Health Act 1983, or application to or referral to a Tribunal, which requires the Secretary of State to submit a statement to the Tribunal. The figures given include requests that were made, but may have been withdrawn at a later stage, and include requests relating to discharged restricted patients, such as request to recall or request to vary or revoke conditions of discharge, as well as those relating to detained restricted patients. YearNumber of Requests  MadeNumber of Requests CompletedNumber of Requests Outstanding2009-108,756  2010-119,073  2011-129,056  2012-1310,653  2013-1410,856  2014-1511,364  2015-1611,336  2016-17 11,938  2017-18 (up to 14/11/2017)6,8815,7321,149**All requests received after 1/4/2017. This figure does not take into account active “critical” work which is being processed but may not have yet been completed and/or for which MHCS may be awaiting full information. MHCS has not had a backlog of cases in significant numbers, nor for any significant periods of time, prior to June 2017. There are therefore no figures relating to backlogs ofcases in earlier years from 2009/10, as no such backlogs then existed. The average number of calendar days between the case being logged to the final decision being made for restricted patients to (a) transfer to another hospital, (c) discharge (d) recall to hospital in each year since 2009/10 is set out in the table below. There is no power to (b) transfer to community care – a patient is either detained in hospital or discharged to the community. Recall decisions are made immediately, hence zero calendar days is recorded as the average. It should be noted that while a case is logged, it may not be ready for immediate consideration if there is further information required to enable a decision to be made. YearHospital transfersConditional dischargeAbsolute dischargeRecall2009-1036334102010-1128462002011-1227422202012-1322382202013-1423434202014-1530423102015-1628372102016-173545410   The number of (a) backlog cases and (b) critical work cases for restricted patients that have been cleared by the MHCS in each month since June 2017 is set out below. MHCS did not develop a backlog until June 2017, therefore the backlog recovery plan was not implemented until June 2017; consequently, no such figures are held prior to June 2017.  Jun 2017Jul 2017Aug 2017Sep 2017Oct 2017Backlog cases249230151223240Critical work cases424472433358441  These figures have been derived from an administrative IT system which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. MHCS is dealing with a backlog of casework decisions and has been since June 2017. This situation is a direct result of staff vacancies which have proved difficult to fill, together with some long-term sickness absences which could not have been predicted. A recovery plan was developed in June 2017, and while MHCS has been able to continue to make critical decisions, such as prison transfers, within 24 hour targets, delays in other parts of the system are ongoing. We take the mental health of restricted patients very seriously, and MHCS has been working closely with NHS colleagues nationally to mitigate the impact of the delays and to understand better areas where the NHS is most concerned. While opportunities are limited until the significant number of MHCS vacancies are filled and new post-holders fully trained, MHCS has managed to adjust its backlog recovery plan to expedite certain types of cases within the backlog. MHCS continues to identify ways in which it can safely reduce delays, while continuing to protect the public.

Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of litigants having to turn to third-party funders to meet the cost of issuing proceedings.

Dominic Raab: A variety of products have been available for some time to assist different types of litigant with the costs of claims, including court fees, such as after the event insurance.Third party litigation funding is typically used as a form of funding in very high value commercial litigation.Support for paying court fees is available for people bringing courts and tribunals proceedings through the Help with Fees scheme, subject to meeting the capital and income tests. Under this scheme, those who qualify may have their court fees remitted in part or in full.

Prisons: Construction

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the Government's estimate of (a) baseline certified normal accommodation and (b) operational capacity in England and Wales following the completion of the new for old prison regeneration and building plan.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Following completion of the population build up at HMP Berwyn and delivery of a new houseblock at HMP Stocken, the capacity of the prison estate is currently forecast to remain stable at approximately 80,300 certified normal accommodation and 88,300 operational capacity from 2019 onwards. The Government set out its ambition for a reformed prison estate in the November 2016 Prison Safety and Reform White Paper. Our reforms will close down ageing and ineffective prisons and replace them with buildings fit for today’s demands. The new prison estate will create the physical conditions for Governors to achieve better educational, training and rehabilitation outcomes. The delivery dates for this programme have not yet been set, so the impact is not yet included in capacity forecasts.

Community Rehabilitation Companies: Staff

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 122018, on Community Rehabilitation Companies; staff, whether any community rehabilitation company contract contains an obligation to employ a specified minimum number of staff.

Mr Sam Gyimah: As per the answer to Question 122018, none of the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) contracts specify that CRCs must maintain staffing numbers at a particular level. Public protection is our top priority and CRCs must ensure they have sufficient levels of competent and appropriately trained staff to deliver their contractual obligations. We continue to closely monitor CRCs as part of our robust contract management and assurance process.

Offenders: Females

Mrs Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of community-based sentencing options on reducing the numbers of mothers on the prison estate and children in care; and if he will ensure that his Department's new female offenders strategy includes measures to prevent the separation of children from their mothers in cases where a mother's sentence is for a non-violent crime and for 12 months or less.

Dr Phillip Lee: We are currently developing the female offender strategy and have considered the effectiveness of community sentences and custodial sentences for all women as part of that work. Custody should be the last resort and only imposed after the court has considered alternative sentences to be served in the community. We are committed to making sure that as many women as possible are effectively rehabilitated in the community to better protect the public and deliver better outcomes for female offenders and their families.

Cabinet Office

Terrorism: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many requests for financial support the Government has (a) received and (b) granted as a result of the 2017 Manchester terrorist attack.

Damian Green: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Electoral Register: North West

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many more people were registered to vote as of 1 November 2017 than was the case at the time of the publication of the official 2015 electoral register in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) Liverpool and (c) the North West.

Chris Skidmore: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Government Departments: Databases

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to replicate the Ministry of Justice Data Lab model across other government departments.

Damian Green: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Electoral Register

Jim McMahon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of adults not registered to vote in each year from 2010 to date.

Chris Skidmore: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Anti-corruption Champion

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has appointed an anti-corruption tsar; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Intelligence Services: Detainees

Mr Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he will issue a direction to place on a statutory footing the Investigatory Powers Commissioner's oversight of the Consolidated Guidance to Intelligence Officers and Service Personnel on the Detention and Interviewing of Detainees Overseas, and on the Passing and Receipt of Intelligence Relating to Detainees.

Damian Green: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Temporary Employment

Chris Stephens: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many and what proportion of parliamentary staff are employed on fixed term contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Brake: As at 31 October 2017, 264 staff were employed on fixed term contracts. This represents 9.8% of staff employed by the House of Commons Commission.